Drafted
by SinTotchi
Summary: General Hux never imagined himself being curious about someone's voice, much less what they did with it - but what she did was what hooked him in the first place. As he learns the woman's identity, personality, and unlikely background, he finds himself entranced by the pilot who caught his attention solely by doing one of the things she loved most...even if she wasn't great at it.
1. Clandestine Woman

**Hi everyone! This is my first Star Wars story ever, so please bear with me if I happen to get anything wrong about the canon. I did research, but I wanted to mention that just in case, hehe. You'll learn more about my OC in the next chapter, as well as her background and etc, which I am currently writing, so it will probably be up soon as well.**

 **Thanks for reading and I look forward to any reads, reviews, and favorites if you are so inclined - reviews make me especially happy! Many hugs!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any of the official Star Wars characters mentioned in this story - just my OCs.**

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Chapter 1

General Hux strolled the aisles of _Finalizer_ in an unrelenting hurried pace; well, what would be considered so for a person of his command. He was one level below his quarters, and would've normally never even been in that corridor had it not been for the pressing matter he needed to attend to. Mind focused in deep contemplation, the only thing that disturbed his train of thought suddenly was the soft, almost indiscernible voice coming from behind one of the officer quarters' doors. Bewildered, one for the fact that it was late – past the end of his rotation and a few hours into the following one –, and two for the _other_ fact which was that he'd never heard someone actually sound like they were enjoying themselves so much, he slowed to a stop and, taking a quick nonchalant glance around, retraced his steps back to be in front of the door that he could hear the voice coming from.

He again ensured his surroundings were clear before uncharacteristically leaning toward the door, trying to figure out what the person was doing. If he had to guess, it would be singing, although it was hard to tell both because he hadn't heard it ever on his ship, and the last time he _had_ heard it at all had been when he was very young, coming from his mother. Although this voice was more muffled, most likely due to certain details: it was behind two doors (the one he stood in front of and the one that led into the refresher), and he could hear the sound of running water – whoever it was was undoubtedly taking a shower. It didn't sound as nice or sweet as what he barely remembered his mothers' had been, but it still intrigued him nonetheless that someone aboard _his_ ship would find doing not just singing, but singing and showering together an enjoyable endeavor. The former confused him the most; from what he could tell the voice was female, and all the females he'd encountered on his ship were frigid, aloof, and unfeeling, which was why the sound had entranced him from the beginning – it was so out of place. He couldn't imagine any of his female staff winding down enough, even with alcohol in their system, to do such an activity and do it with such _feeling_ , especially when they weren't that…great at it.

He gave a mental shrug before he furrowed his eyebrows in concentration and noticed the sound of running water had stopped. He was about to lean even closer to the door to hear the voice better once they stepped out of the refresher, but inwardly panicked when he heard the tell-tale hiss of a door about to be opened to his right. He quickly straightened his posture and began to walk away, stopping when he heard footsteps following him, and suddenly turned on his heel, catching the person behind him under his cold, indignant stare.

He gave a quick glance-over at the male in front of him and took a step forward, his callous eyes glaring at the terrified officer in front of him wearing off-duty clothes, who in turn took a step back. He repressed a smirk when he saw the male swallow hard, obviously trying to figure out what he'd done to piss the dreaded General off.

"Whose quarters are these?" Hux questioned lowly, keeping his voice calm but a little quiet so nobody else could hear, pointing with his gloved hand at the door he'd previously been standing in front of.

The blonde-headed male flinched at the sudden move before following Hux's hand with his eyes, turning slightly to look in that direction. He couldn't hide his obvious confusion very well but let out a shaky breath as he turned back to Hux and gulped one more time before answering. "Sergeant Summers, sir."

Hux stared him down for another moment before turning on his heel again and walking off, greatcoat moving with each movement and leaving a trembling plain-clothes officer in its wake. He made his way down the rest of the corridor and turned toward the nearest elevator, waiting for it to arrive before stepping in and pushing the button for his floor. He decided whatever business he'd had to fuss at Mitaka over could wait until he saw him on the bridge the next day – for once, something else had caught his attention.

 _Summers._ The name sounded so familiar to him yet he couldn't place a face with said name. He would've assumed he could've possibly identified the voice, but then he reminded himself that he didn't care less what his inferiors sounded like as long as they got the job done. He knew it had to be one of his bridge officers, since they all lived on this floor, and he knew there weren't as many women as men that worked within close proximity to him there.

He arrived at his quarters and stepped in, door immediately opening upon his arrival without him even needing to lift so much as a finger. He shrugged his greatcoat off and placed it on the rack near the door, taking care to ensure there were no creases in the material before removing his leather gloves and placing them together in his right coat pocket. He then made his way towards his desk, retrieving one of the datapads on it and typing in the name he'd just been given, the first result obviously being the person more or less under his direct command. He stared at the screen for a moment, staring at the headshot picture of a woman staring back at him in her regulation uniform, and it was then he realized why she looked so familiar – she was one of the security techs on the bridge. Something seemed off, though – he'd interacted, albeit briefly, with her before, and he wasn't entirely convinced the person he was looking at was the same as the one he'd heard earlier, even if it made no sense. He placed his chin in his palm, elbow atop the arm of his desk chair, and began strolling through her file, trying to figure out what was bothering him, but coming up with no solid answers.

The woman had been to the Academy and through officer training, starting at the age of 10. It was older than most others who went there, as they usually started very young, but he quickly realized why – the female's father was an Imperial sympathizer, and a friend of one of the old Imperials who was an instructor at the Academy – they must've been living on a neutral or Republic planet in her early childhood if the man had to pull a favor to get his child allocated there, otherwise she probably would've gone as soon as she was of the right age.

He scrolled down some more and noted her planet of birth and her family's current residence were not the same. His eyes fleeted over the words quickly and suddenly it made more sense – she was born on Talus, and had moved with her family to Arkanis at the age of 10 – probably because she'd been accepted into the Academy, no doubt. He let out a soft tsk before setting the datapad back in its usual spot and getting up from his chair toward his bedroom, ready to change out of his uniform.

* * *

The next morning found him, as usual, on the bridge, bright and early. His staff was already there, and he ensured not to change his facial expression as he gave a quick, sideways glance at the sandy-blonde female sitting at the end of the row, closest to the exit. Something still seemed off, but he wouldn't know for sure until the rest of the rotation passed by – he wasn't about to draw any curious glances by going over and speaking to her himself, especially when Lieutenant Mitaka or Captain Opan took care of such trivial business. Speaking of Mitaka…

He walked over toward said Lieutenant and noticed the man trying not to quiver under his gaze. Hands characteristically intertwined behind his back, he didn't bother to turn back around when he stopped next to the young Lieutenant, merely opting for a turn of his head in the shorter male's direction.

"Is it true Kylo Ren destroyed another control room?" He asked simply, watching the man shift his weight uncomfortably to his other foot but, other than that, not move a muscle.

"Yes, sir. It appears he struck one in the north quadrant this time, sir. After our rotation ended, sir."

The corner of Hux's lip twitched in anger but besides that, there were no other signs to betray his emotions. He took in a short breath before returning his head to face forward (or maybe backward, considering he had his back to the open window of space), and turned 90 degrees in the direction of the security tech. "Show me the footage."

Mitaka led him over to the blonde woman, uttering something to her just as Hux moved in to stand behind her. The General chanced a brief glance down to the Sergeant, who had stiffened slightly, before looking back at the screen, watching her pull up the footage.

"This is the Commander entering the room just after—"

"Lieutenant, I'd prefer Sergeant Summers to explain it to me. It _is_ her field of expertise, after all," Hux cut in, giving him a bullshit excuse so he could confirm or rebuke his suspicions. The tech gave Mitaka a brief panicked look that didn't escape Hux – so she was afraid of him, too, which made his eyes narrow slightly in mistrust – surely this wasn't the same woman he'd heard the previous night?

As directed Summers began to explain, obviously not sure why she was doing so when it was normally somebody else higher in command, and after her first few words Hux knew – this wasn't _her_. He may have heard it from behind two metal doors and under running water but he trusted himself, and his hearing and instincts, to know that he'd be able to recognize it when he did. He barely listened to the rest of what the tech was saying as he tried to figure out who else could've been in there, his eyes taking in the full destruction Kylo Ren was implementing in the north quadrant control room. He briefly wondered if it was the Sergeant's lover, but quickly dismissed it when he recalled seeing only males in the _really_ personal area of her personnel file. It honestly didn't surprise him that the First Order required all their employees to note such a thing in their record, after all, they required stability and rigid organization for everyone, and not disclosing a sexual partner was against regulations. Not that he personally cared about anyone's lovers; sure he'd had one or two in the far past but as of late, he was too preoccupied with work and being a strict General.

He was brought back from his short daze just as Summers finished (not that he'd needed the play-by-play anyway, he just had ulterior motives for it), and Lieutenant Mitaka looked expectantly over to him. Hux returned the look before speaking, a question which his Lieutenant was most likely anticipating, "Has the damage and repairs been calculated yet?"

"Yes, sir. I sent a copy to your com, sir."

Hux was mildly surprised at Mitaka's lack of stutter, which he attributed to the younger man probably knowing what Hux would ask of him. He pulled out his com and opened the message, nostrils flaring indignantly when he looked at the staggering figure. He quietly seethed as Mitaka took a shaky step back from the tech's station, expecting this reaction at the outrageous amount of credits needed for repairs. He clenched his jaw briefly before putting his com away and locking his hands behind his back. "Approve the repairs. Get it done as quickly as possible." With that, he walked past Mitaka back to the center of the bridge, mentally cursing Kylo Ren's usual immaturity in handling situations that didn't end in his favor.

* * *

A few cycles later, as his rotation ended, Hux walked to the elevator and was about to push the number for his floor when his curiosity seeped at him again. He wasn't sure why he was allowing himself to fall prey to simple impulse, but he relented this time and pushed the number of the floor below him, silently thankful that the corridor was empty again. He wasn't sure if he'd ever hear it again (and even noted that the time he was there today was earlier than last night) but he almost hoped this person wasn't as regimented as he, and didn't always take their shower at the same time. If they'd been singing, they probably weren't.

He'd taken the time to look up the blueprints for this floor before going to bed the previous cycle, and had found himself praising silent victory when he'd found a utility closet in between the Sergeant's quarters and some other officer's quarters – he definitely didn't want a repeat of last night coming back to haunt him, especially if it was the same male catching him twice, he was too paranoid of any rumors starting, untrue or not.

He found the storage closet with ease, and pressed in a generic code to gain access – again, he was too paranoid of someone tracking his movements and wondering what he'd been doing _in_ said storage closet, especially when he wasn't a sanitation Stormtrooper; either that or they'd think someone had stolen his codes, which was also a highly unlikely theory. So he went in, making sure to lock the door behind him using the control panel and found himself listening to two different conversations – unlucky for him, it seemed the owners of both quarters had a guest that day. He was able to easily filter out the _"She has such a nice ass, but she's_ such _a bitch"_ and the _"Seriously, but I bet the General gets laid all the time. These Imperial chicks love that higher-in-command shit"_ voices due to the fact that they were male, trying not to focus on his subordinates speaking about his sex life as if it was yesterday's news; he was there for something else. He pressed himself closer to the wall opposite the men's voices, and recognized one voice as Summers, and the other as the mystery that had brought him there in the first place.

"— _early, but I got grease all over myself tweaking HBIC and, well, you know how it goes…"_

" _I still can't believe you called it that."_

It was Hux's turn to shift uncomfortably. " _HBIC? What the hell is an HBIC? And why was she tweaking it?"_ He wondered, thoroughly perplexed. She could be a maintenance tech of some sort, but he didn't know if he liked the sound of a tech 'tweaking' something when their job was simply to repair. He turned slightly, placing his back on the wall separating the room from Summers' quarters, and cupped his chin in his hand, thoughts broken by someone speaking again.

" _If you had one you would've named it, too. But hey, if you're not about to use it I wouldn't mind taking a shower. I even brought my own hair towel this time!"_

" _GOOD, 'cause I kept running out after you kept 'borrowing' them before going back downstairs. Thanks for getting them cleaned for me, though. Maybe you should just bring your towels up here and make it easier on yourself, especially if you want to avoid getting peeked in on in the communal bathrooms on your floor."_

Hux let out a soft sigh, rolling his eyes. He couldn't remember the last time he'd heard two women talk this much, much less just one. But he had to admit, he'd at least learned a few more clues as to who this person might be, although the communal bathrooms were on every floor below this one, so that didn't help him out much.

" _Ugh, don't remind me, fucking pigs. You'd think I'd have my own damn bathroom by now but I guess it's another way to punish me. Anyyyywaaaay, me and my music will be on the other side of that door!"_

" _Don't mind me, I'll just be here listening to your terrible voice singing songs I've never heard of."_

" _Oh you love it, don't even try to lie. I know my voice is shitty but that's what makes it even better. And if you hadn't gone to the Academy you WOULD know them and you WOULD like them, so hush."_

" _Yeah, yeah, don't remind me. I don't know how I survived 10 years without you."_

" _You didn't. You were dead when I got here. I'm the ray of sunshine that lights up your whole life."_

After that, he heard the tell-tale click of the refresher door being opened and closed amidst Summers' laughing. He thought of what Summers had said earlier, about being separated for 10 years, and remembered that on Sergeant Summers' file, her age had been indicated as 25. This meant that either: 1) this woman was at _least_ the same age, they most likely knew each other before Summers' left for the Academy, and must've been in the First Order for minimally the last five years, or 2) They met each other when Summers' was 15, at which time she would've been in the Academy, and were just reunited in the very recent past. The first option seemed more viable, as the woman probably wasn't able to keep in contact with Summers while she'd been at the Academy, and said woman had the markings of someone who'd been allowed more freedom than anyone at the Academy ever had.

As he contemplated this, it didn't take much longer before the music started, followed by the sound of running water and the voice joining in singing the lyrics. He wasn't sure whether it was louder because of where he was or if she was purposefully trying to be louder to annoy her friend, but he found a few crates to sit on as he listened and pondered, trying to figure out what it was that drew him to this person. The best thing he could come up with was the amount of feeling they put into the singing, which aptly reminded him of his mother singing lullaby's as a child. His mother's voice had been silk-like, however, and while this woman's voice wasn't great, it wasn't exactly horrible either, merely a web of in-between.

He sat there dredging up simultaneously beautiful and painful memories, and before he realized it, the sound had stopped, the sound of the refresher door bringing him out of his stupor. He straightened up and was about to get up and leave when he heard the woman speak again.

" _Oh yeah, SO much better. Oh shit! Lei, I love you, but I gotta head back. I have to wake up extra early tomorrow and all that, you already know. I'll try and bring my towels tomorrow for sure."_

" _Suuure, I'll believe it when I see it. Com me when you get back, okay?"_

" _You got it, boo. Love you!"_

" _Love you too! And kick those boys' rears!"_

" _Best believe! I'll let you know how it goes!"_

The next thing he heard was the hiss of the quarters' main door opening and closing, leaving him to try to figure out what they'd just been talking about. This woman wasn't like the others, she was spirited, feisty, and foul-mouthed, all of which he'd never associated with any woman, much less any woman in the entire First Order. He let out a frustrated sigh, realizing that he now had more questions than answers, but decided to stay put for a little while longer, lest he run into the woman that would probably wonder, as he'd speculated earlier, what the General of the fleet was doing in a supply closet in the first place. Even though he'd get to see who she is, the pros outweighed the cons 10:1 on this – he simply couldn't allow any rumors, however unfounded, to tarnish his otherwise pristine reputation.

He waited a few more seconds before overriding the lock on the door and slowly stepping outside, letting out a quiet breath of relief whenever the two people he saw were far away and walking in the opposite direction of where he was, one of whom, he assumed, was the woman. She was a little too far for him to make her out properly, but she seemed to be standing in front of an elevator to his left, definitely not in uniform with a towel wrapped in her hair, and holding something rectangular shaped in her hand as well as something smaller which he assumed to be her com. He resumed his rigid demeanor without much effort, and made his way to the elevator nearest his right, heading back to his own quarters for the night.

* * *

Hux found himself at his usual post a few hours into his rotation the following cycle – standing on the bridge at the head of the _Finalizer_ , hands interlocked behind his back, and staring into the bottomless abyss of space. His thoughts had gone deep into the blueprints of some of the weapons he was designing, something he liked to do to occupy his time whenever there wasn't an enemy directly in front of him and all his duties had been taken care of. Not that the latter was the case today; he'd just simply found himself distracted the past few cycles, and as such he tried to contain his thoughts to remain on strict First Order business whenever he was on the bridge.

It didn't take more than a few minutes for his concentration to be shattered by the sudden arrival of several Special Forces TIE/sf's, all lead by a TIE/vn, or TIE Silencer. He tried not to show emotion on his face, but couldn't help but furrow his eyebrows slightly, his mind immediately jumping to the worst conclusion, especially after the defection of FN-2187. He didn't bother turning or even moving his head before calling Opan over, at which the solemn Captain quickly closed the space between them and stood next to him.

"Yes, sir?"

"Captain," Hux spoke quietly so only Opan could hear, staring directly ahead at the sight unfolding before him, "Explain this."

Opan moved his eyes to follow the General's line of vision, a ghost of a smile hinting at one corner of his lips. "That's the Special Forces Alpha squadron, General. Colonel Kahn sent in the request and I approved it myself, as I do all of their simulation plans," Opan replied, still standing rigid at attention next to the General, "This is the first time they've done a simulation this close to the ship, they usually perform them further away in deeper space."

Hux narrowed his eyes slightly, but not enough for even Opan to notice. The point of simulations was to do them on a datapad or controlled environment with only one person doing them at a time, which he could see the drawbacks for in real combat, so this piqued his curiosity. He took in a small breath before speaking louder so the technicians nearby could hear. "Link in to their frequency."

Opan watched the General with a trace of curiosity in his eyes, and heard the usual "Yes, General" from the communications technician before hearing Hux's own "Dismissed, Captain" and allowed himself to step away from Hux and resume his earlier duties.

Hux lifted his chin slightly as Opan walked away, silence on the bridge other than the sound of soft static before a few voices began pouring in, one which made him freeze in place and involuntarily tighten his grip on his own hands.

"— _right, everyone's accounted for. Remember, shields up, but we're treating this worst-case as if you had no shields, but still have to protect the_ Finalizer _, got it? One hit and you're out, step away until we do the second wave."_

Hux's heart unwittingly began beating faster. That voice…it was definitely _her_.

" _Alpha Ace, One, and Two, you're with me. Three through Eight, you're the enemy. Do your best to get through, but don't do anything stupid, copy?"_

" _Copy, Alpha Leader."_

Hux heard the chorus of responses to her and hid back a smirk. So she was their Squadron leader? This made it much, much more easy.

" _Six against four, pretty simple. Scramble!"_

Hux watched the TIE's move further into the expanse of space, the four "protecting the ship" had taken steps to hover near some vital points, with the TIE Silencer protecting the helm of the ship, directly in front of him. As he watched the dance of fire and flight before him, he listened to the clear voice of a woman who was in total control.

" _Four, out. One, out. Five, Six, and Two, out. It's just you and me, Ace."_

It didn't take long before the remaining three TIEs, Three, Seven, and Eight ganged up on Ace and took him out after a few drawn out seconds, but not before their Leader had managed to take out two of them. Alpha Three remained, and Hux heard a quiet curse under the male pilot's breath once he realized he was up against his Leader. Hux watched closely as the pilot tried in vain to escape his Leader's tail on him, but it didn't take long before he succumbed to his own inferior piloting skills compared to his Leader's and was taken out by the Silencer, without a single shot making it past the barricade and to the _Finalizer_.

" _Good job guys. And nice try, maybe you'll have better luck with eight against two. Ace, you're with me."_

" _Copy, Alpha Leader."_

Hux raised his chin slightly, interest peaking. In all the simulations he knew of, there had never been more than six against four, reason being that the First Order simply had more resources and TIE-fighters in a fleet than the Resistance did in their entire army, so it was seen as unnecessary. However, as he watched the elite Special Ops squadron doing their own type of simulation, it became clear why they did this, especially if there were any pilots in the Resistance as good as even one of the ones he was watching.

" _Six, out. Two, Five, Ace, Three, out."_

Hux narrowed his eyes slightly, barely managing to keep up with all the maneuvers the squadron Leader was doing to avoid being hit, while simultaneously managing to draw fire away from the _Finalizer_. He silently wondered if she was going to be able to keep that up considering it was now four against one.

" _Four, out. Sev—what the fuck?!"_

Hux's eyes widened slightly, watching as one of the TIEs tried a less-than-perfect maneuver that ended up spinning out of control when he tried avoiding his recently eliminated teammate, only to be sent hurtling towards the other still in play, who was obviously focused on trying to get through the Leader's defenses and hit the _Finalizer_. Even with their shields up, Hux knew that there wasn't a possibiliy to avoid some sort of impact that would most likely than not end up deadly. As he prepared to watch the two TIEs go down in a blaze of flames and smoke, he was less prepared to witness what came next: the Silencer increased its speed even further, hurtling itself towards what Hux now expected to become three casualties instead of two. As he questioned the sanity of the squadron Leader, he was baffled when the Silencer swooped in and managed to catch one of the whirling TIE's wings in between the left-sided forks of the Silencer, breaking off a small piece of the tip of the upper fork in the process. The Silencer, immediately upon catching the wing, began to purposefully spin with it, then quickly slowed the rotations until they were both upright, the squadron Leader obviously knowing that if she hadn't turned with the out-of-control TIE, more of her ship would've broken off in the process, and she wouldn't have been able to slow it down at all. Her efficacy and timing was impeccable.

" _What the FUCK, Rhade? Everyone dock, and don't go anywhere until I fucking get there. Sim is over for today."_

As the transmission cut off, Hux could tell the woman was livid, which made him curious as to why – after all, if those two pilots had died, they could easily be replaced by others who would be more than happy to take their place in an Elite squadron such as hers, she didn't have to risk her own life over it. He took in a sharp breath before pivoting on his heel and not bothering to stop as he spoke out an order, his voice emotionless and hardened as always. "Captain, take control. I'll return shortly."

When he reached the docking bay in record time, he watched as the last of the TIEs docked, all of them together on the right hand side of the bay, pilots slowly emerging. Hux walked up to the Colonel, who was standing at ease a little ways away from the squadron of pilots, but still clearly within hearing distance of them, all of whom were standing next to each other, helmets cradled under an arm, in front of a set of their docked ships, stone-faced except for one who was failing miserably at hiding his worry.

"Colonel." Hux began, watching as the man straightened to attention and gave him a quick salute.

"General." The greying man replied, his voice deep but gruff from years of yelling out orders. He eyed the General curiously, wondering what the man in charge of the whole ship was doing in a docking bay of all places. He then followed Hux's line of sight, and noticed that it fell on the currently docking, and slightly damaged TIE Silencer, allowing himself a smug smile.

"I trust that Captain Guerran's simulation was to your liking? She insisted on doing one at the helm of the _Finalizer_ to train her pilots to protect the most important parts of the ship," the Colonel began, giving Hux pause to wonder if the man had even listened in to the transmission at all – considering his tone, probably not; if he did, he didn't seem too bothered by it.

Hux didn't get to answer before he watched the pilot of the Silencer begin emerging, the fighter being docked just a klick's breadth away from where he and the Colonel currently stood in front of the rest of Alpha Squadron's TIEs. His face remained expressionless as a petite female exited the top hatch of the ship, jumping down the side to land on the metal floor with grace and agility, the only sound emitted being the soft 'click' of her boot's heels – boots which, he could tell by the two-to-three-inch stiletto heel, were _definitely_ not standard issue. As if in slow-motion, he watched the female stealthily begin her advance towards her squadron, the (actually) standard issue black flight suit clinging to her body like a second skin and accenting her feminine curves. He could hear some of the other pilots, not on her squadron, and even Stormtroopers stop what they were doing to look, all of them appearing to know that something was about to happen simply by the force her heels made against the polished surface. Even with all of her gear on – chestplate, shoulder pauldrons, gauntlets, life support gear, and belt with blaster pistol firmly attached, not to mention those deadly non-issue boots, she was stalking her way over in record time, like predator to prey.

Still unmoving and face revealing no emotions, Hux watched as the woman angrily pulled the gas transfer tube off her helmet as she sauntered, black-gloved (also standard-issue, to his relief) hands reaching up to pull the black helmet off, the two red vertical lines on the helmet easily setting her and her squadron apart as Special Forces. As his gaze followed her every step of the way, he couldn't help the slight blush that crept upon his cheeks as he watched the long, dark chocolate colored tresses cascade out of the helmet confining them and down her back, their length very easily reaching the tail end of her spine. Her aquamarine eyes held a certain fire in them, a fire that had been stoked by her squadron member's mistake, and which never moved their angry stare from said squadron member, even as the rest of the squadron fell to attention at her left, and completely ignoring (or not noticing, which he deemed less likely) the fact that her superiors were watching her every move. Her beautiful facial features and olive-colored skin were scrunched up into a scowl, and she didn't even break her step as she tossed her helmet to the side and it was caught by what Hux could tell was the most senior member of her squadron, who didn't bother to flinch as he caught the helmet and placed it under his other arm, standing at attention the whole time.

"What. THE FUCK. Was that, Rhade?" Captain Guerran began, gloved finger pressing into the taller man's chest, whose posture at attention visibly crumbled under the woman's fierce gaze.

"I was just trying to—" Officer Rhade tried to counter, almost angry at having to defend his actions, but still managing to notice the various mortified looks and head shakes he was receiving from his squadron mates behind their Captain, one of whom visibly broke his stance to cross his arms in an X shape in front of his body and visibly shake his head no, voicelessly mouthing the word.

"Shut it. Take your excuse and shove it up your ass," the Captain continued, still seething, "Who the hell do you think you are, Poe fucking Dameron?! You almost took out Vang with that little stunt you asshole, and it will be your first and last one. One more mistake and you're off my squad."

"But that's not fair!" Rhade retorted, ignoring his friend from earlier smacking himself in the face at his stupidity to continue, "I worked hard to be here! I earned it!"

"Oh yeah?" Captain Guerran replied, her eyes narrowing as she grabbed the side of his chestplate and pulled him forward to be at her eye level, cyan eyes against the Officer's brown ones. "So did the others before you, and they got kicked off just as well after two strikes. I will not risk the lives of my men for a dumbass who wants to be a showoff. I haven't lost a single pilot yet, and I won't jeopardize that for _anyone_ , you hear me?" She roared, noticing the genuinely frightened look in her subordinate's eyes. She let him go with a soft shove to his chestplate, reaching her hand out to her left without removing her scrutiny from the taller man's form and grabbing her helmet when it was passed back to her by her Lieutenant. "If you have a problem with that, you can talk to higher command at your fucking leisure, they're standing right there," She added, pointing her right index finger in the direction of Hux and the Colonel without even bothering to turn her head in the slightest. She watched Rhade's expression switch from anger to dismay – he'd obviously noticed the taciturn, unsympathetic looks from the two men, at least one of which she'd expected; after all, Colonel Kahn had yet to disagree with any of her decisions. "Next week, we're going with no shields. Your squadmates have you to thank for that." She ignored the shocked looks and soft sighs and groans from the rest of the squadron and then, without another word, strolled past the Officer she'd just berated and toward the entrance to the hallway which would lead her to an elevator – the first thing she wanted to do was get out of that tight fucking jumpsuit.

Hux didn't say a word as he heard the pilots and troopers who'd stilled bustle back to work, and he turned around when the Colonel did so, listening to him apologize for Captain Guerran's temper and mention that she was one of his best pilots, going on to add that the Alpha and Omega squadrons were his top two Special Forces. Hux tuned him out as the man continued blabbering off about Omega, taking a curious interest in the conversation the remaining Alpha pilots were having literally behind his back.

"Dude, you're such a dumbass. Why'd you talk back to her like that? You must've really pissed her off for her to go no shields… the last guy who fucked up in Sim didn't talk back, thankfully for us…he still got kicked off second strike though," One of the pilots, Officer Zorne began, laughing before the others joined him.

"No, seriously, don't do that shit. She's tough but we respect her and trust her with our lives, man. You can't be going all gung-ho like that, she's kicked off a lot of pilots, good pilots, for stunts like that, but they totally deserved it. Why do you think she hasn't lost a single pilot when Omega has lost 17 not to mention all those non-Elites?" Another added, all laughter from his face and voice gone.

"Yeah, we're all a team, we're a family bro. We're all we've got on this fucking ship. I'll tell you what I told the last guy – don't pull stupid shit and you're on Alpha for the rest of your career, the rest of your life," Lieutenant Stevens, who'd been holding their Captain's helmet mere seconds ago, pitched in.

"Exactly. Anyways, I'll see you guys at the cantina tonight. Next Sim, try not to kill me again, deal?" Sergeant Vang added, giving the rest of his squad a half-assed salute as he began walking off, followed by the others except for Officer Rhade and Officer Maru.

"Kyle, bro, seriously…the cantina? I can't go tonight, the fucking Captain's gonna be there," Rhade began, obviously distraught at the fact that he would miss out on a good night.

" _Exactly._ She's gonna be there, that's exactly why you have to go," Officer Kyle Maru replied, giving his friend a knowing look, "I tried to warn you, you dumbass, to stop talking back to her. But dude, don't worry about it, Adam – most of us have fucked up before too. We're all a family, so you're gonna make it up to her like family, alright?"

"At the cantina?" Officer Adam Rhade retorted, confusion blatantly obvious in his voice as his friend merely nodded in response, "Is she gonna make me dance with her or something? Cause you know I can't dance worth a shi—"

"What?! No, fuck no," Kyle replied, laughing hard, "She'd kill you first. She won't let any of us touch her – trust me, various guys on the squad have tried to get with her before, and they all ended up with a stiletto to the crotch. A lot of the guys that have gotten kicked off tried it, too, but we didn't warn them 'cause it was too funny watching them limp around the next few days," He added, watching Adam's face pale slightly, "But don't worry, I'm warning you now. Don't. Try. That. Shit. When some of the other guys didn't get the hint, The Lieu and the rest of us would handle it. You don't fuck with our family." This time Adam didn't reply, merely nodded in understanding before visibly relaxing, just in time for Kyle to give him a good-natured slap on the back and the two of them walking away like nothing happened.

Hux became fascinated by the conversation he'd just overheard. He'd known of some Officers treating each other like brothers or sisters, but never a whole squadron of ten people. He was now more curious about Captain Guerran, as well as wondering what her men had meant about making it up to her at the cantina. He'd never expected the Captain to be so stunning, much less as fierce as she was and how she easily kept her men in line. All of them obviously respected her, so shown by the way they behaved in her presence, although they might've behaved differently if she hadn't been angry; he'd be curious to test that hypothesis out. He barely registered Colonel Kahn asking him a question, but Hux replied with a question of his own that had bugged him since he'd watched the men stepping out of their cockpits.

"Colonel, The TIE/sf's are built for two pilots, are they not?"

The Colonel gave him a sly smile before nodding once, "Indeed, General. But Captain Guerran has required all her pilots to train extensively to be able to use all weapons even in the midst of battle, where the turret would ideally be controlled by the rear-facing gunner. This makes it especially challenging for her pilots, but I assure you, they are more than up to par – they wouldn't last if they weren't up to her standards." Hux gave a swift nod, and just as it appeared the Colonel was about to ask something else, the man was distracted by a different squadron leader coming up to give him a report, which Hux took as the perfect time to leave, doing so with a simple "Colonel" before heading back to the bridge.


	2. Inopportune Touch

**Author's Note: Just wanted to point out that Roselea is pronounced "Roz-eh-leeah," and Leillea is "Lay-leh-ah." Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 2

Hux allowed muscle memory to lead him as he made his way back to the bridge, grabbing his datapad once he arrived and took command back over from Opan. He quickly typed in Captain Guerran's name and pulled up her file, keeping his face stoic and emotionless as he began to read the details.

" _Captain Roselea Guerran, age 27. Rank: Captain, Designation: Special Forces pilot, Squadron: Alpha, Position: Leader,"_ He continued scrolling, expecting to encounter information about her lineage but finding none, which was extremely unusual. He faced away from his staff and to the clear window before him, yet obviously more interested in what he was reading than staring at the mass of black and twinkling white before him. _"Age upon entry: 18."_

Hux's eyes widened, thankful that none of his subordinates could see the surprised look in his face. 18? That was unheard of! Perhaps it was a mistake on some idiot transcriber's part and it was 8, but even still that was old for a child to be accepted into the Academy. Then again, if she had similar help as Sergeant Summers did from her father…

He scrolled down a set of lines and noticed a link that spelled CONFIDENTIAL in big, red letters. He opened it, put in his passcode to gain access to the sensitive information, and tried not to let his jaw drop as he read what was shielded from everybody else's eyes – everybody except those as high in command as himself.

" _Roselea Guerran was drafted into the First Order after breaking into the Academy in Arkanis. She was discovered by an Officer during the nightly rounds after she'd been in the female Officer-in-Training wing entering personal quarters and seemingly looking for someone. Upon discovery, she fled the premises and piloted her personal ship into Arkanis' stratosphere, where she evaded various TIE-fighters and escaped the planet's atmosphere. She almost succeeded in entering hyperspeed until the_ Harbinger _, temporarily stationed above Arkanis, pulled her ship in with its tractor beam._

 _Upon docking, she killed various Stormtroopers boarding her ship with her personal blaster, until she was overpowered and taken prisoner. Due to her impressive performance avoiding First Order pilots, she was brought before Admiral Zhaf Tavers, as he'd requested to meet the pilot of the ship who had been better than most of his own. She was given the option of joining the First Order or being executed, which she refused, until a report was given to the Admiral that her ship's manufacturing was identical of those from Talus._

 _Admiral Tavers made the connection between Guerran and then-Officer Summers, who was the only female from Talus that had been in the Academy in the previous 15 years. He then gave Guerran a second offer, joining the First Order or Officer Summers would be executed in front of her, but only after she'd been persuaded to find out the names of Guerran's family. Guerran grudgingly accepted, and was the first to be drafted into the First Order."_

Persuaded. Hux knew exactly what that really meant – torture. Guerran's loyalty to her friend and family had cost her her freedom, although Hux doubted her answer would've been any different if they'd told her only Summers would be harmed instead of adding her family into the mix. His first thought was to wonder why Guerran hadn't simply tried to escape at her first chance, but that question was answered by the next paragraph he began to read.

" _Guerran was also warned that her family and friend would be executed if she ever tried to escape, or if she ever purposefully sabotaged any First Order equipment. She was fitted with a tracking chip placed against her carotid artery to prevent any attempts at removing it and squash any hope of escaping._

 _She remained on the_ Harbinger _for two years while rising to the rank of Lieutenant, until she was transferred to the_ Finalizer _after a request from Colonel Kahn, who placed her in his Special Forces. A year later, he promoted her to Captain and gave her leadership over Alpha Squadron, noting her leadership, piloting skills, and zero member death-count for her quick rise in the ranks."_

Hux shifted uneasily, remembering the fact that Guerran had mentioned she'd been tweaking something (HBIC, whatever that was) only a few rotations earlier. He still wasn't comfortable with her being able to do such things at her own leisure, but he could only assume that she was upholding her end of the deal, especially after being reunited with Summers. He wondered where she'd learned her skills, which only made her more intriguing to him – perhaps her lineage could be the answer.

As he began to think of the many ways to get this information, he was distracted by what sounded like a stifled laugh, and he turned his head just slightly to see Summers' hand covering her mouth and nose, obviously trying to keep herself from making any noise, out of his peripheral vision. The rest of his crew worked on noiselessly as if it had never happened, and it took him a minute to realize that she'd made that sound before, but this time was the first time he'd ever actually paid any attention to it. His eyes narrowed slightly before he turned his head back to face the window and looked back down at the datapad, typing in a few commands before giving himself the smug satisfaction of success – he'd locked in to Summers' com, able to see all of her messages, but the name at the top of the list being the most interesting. He touched the name and was able to see the messages between her and Guerran, scrolling down to the ones that had started not long after he'd exited the docking bay earlier that cycle.

 _R. Guerran: You. Me. Cantina. Tonight.  
L. Summers: Yesss…we always go Zhellday after our last rotation since we're off the next cycle, remember? Every two weeks?  
R. Guerran: Yeah, I know. But tonight is __**extra**_ _special.  
L. Summers: OHHH…who messed up this time?  
R. Guerran: Fucking Rhade. Asshole messed up so bad a tip of one of HBIC's forks came off when I had to rescue his dumb ass. I'm so pissed.  
R. Guerran: I really need a drank.  
R. Guerran: Drink*  
L. Summers: Oh wow…he's got a lot of making up to do. Your whole squadron knows how much you take care of your Silencer.  
R. Guerran: They do. He does. Which is why I'm going to shove my four-inch stiletto up his skinny ass when I see him. Douchebag.  
R. Guerran: I should make HIM fix it. Now I'm going to have to go in a cycle early to fix it myself…I already put in the parts request, so at least they'll be ready when I get there.  
L. Summers: Why don't you just let the techs fix it?  
L. Summers: Oh wait, I know. "Daddy didn't raise no fool," right?  
R. Guerran: Damn straight, boo.  
R. Guerran: PLEASE tell me you'll be off rotation on time tonight.  
L. Summers: I hope so, but I'm not sure what the General has planned for today.  
R. Guerran: Speaking of our dear General…I saw him for the first time EVER today, he was in the bay of all places. Not sure what he was doing there, but he watched me tear Rhade a new one. I didn't expect him to look like __**that**_ _though.  
L. Summers: Like what? What did you expect him to look like?  
R. Guerran: I dunno. Old. Fat. Wrinkly. Not handsome. He's a General, for fucks sake, what did you expect me to think?  
R. Guerran: You're right though, he is tall and has red hair.  
L. Summers: …  
L. Summers: …did you just say HANDSOME? You of all people __**actually**_ _think someone is HANDSOME?  
R. Guerran: OH, WELL MY BAD, LEI. Would you rather I say fuck-worthy? Would that be more my style for you?  
R. Guerran: He did look like he had a giant Jogan fruit up his ass though. Seems very uptight.  
L. Summers: OH MY KRIFF, ROS! I think he heard me laugh! If I don't get out of here on time it's your fault. I better go before he turns around and sees me dying over here.  
R. Guerran: Loooveee youuuu. See you soon!  
R. Guerran: And you're NOT wearing your ugly ass uniform pants out tonight!_

Hux tried to calm himself as the blood had rushed to his face, turning almost his entire face red. He didn't know whether to be mortified or angry, but at that current moment he was feeling a mixture of both, leaning more towards the latter. He contemplated whether to confront her about her insubordination not only in the docking bay but in these messages, but chose to mull it over for a minute before deciding, allowing himself time to regain his bearings.

He locked the datapad before putting it away, turning on his heel and barely regarding Opan as he walked. "I'll be in my office for the remainder of rotation. Com me if it's urgent," He spoke quickly, not bothering to stop before making his way to the elevator. He knew where Captain Guerran's rooms were after seeing it in her file, and as he exited the lift and walked towards her designated quarters, he never allowed his rigid posture and calculating demeanor to fade. He slowed down and knew he was near when he heard some music, stopping before the door and almost glaring at it when it didn't budge, reminding himself he wasn't at his own quarters. He took in a sharp breath before raising his hand to knock, hearing the music lower in volume slightly before a woman's voice spoke out before the door even opened.

"For fucks sake Daniels, how many times do I have to tell you Stormtroopers I'm not lowering the frickin' volu—" A surprised Ros blinked once in confusion, expecting to see the young trooper's face there but instead finding the rigid, pale face of General Hux. She met his cerulean eyes with her cyan ones and paused, placing her hands on her hips. "General…may I help you?"

Hux tried to hide the offended look that crossed his features, still appalled at the fact that she not only failed to salute him, but spoke to him so casually, as if he was just another from her crew. He eyed her up and down, noticing the fact that she'd removed all the armor, including her belt and blaster, and stood only in her bare jumpsuit, minus the boots. He silently wondered if she'd gotten too distracted by her conversation with Summers to finish changing, but disregarded it as he linked his hands behind his back.

"Captain Guerran. We need to speak in my office."

Ros eyed him suspiciously, not bothering to hide any of her feelings before giving a small shrug and pointing towards the inside of her room, "Sure, let me put my boots back on."

Hux watched her silently as she walked over to the small living area and turned off what he recognized as the rectangular-shaped device he'd seen in her hand the previous cycle. He took in her surroundings without moving a muscle, noticing that they were a lot tidier than he expected…and a lot smaller than he expected, as well. Her quarters had to be the same as a Stormtrooper Lieutenant, which made him curious as to why someone with such a higher rank as herself had such lowly quarters – she should've at _least_ been one floor above, where all the other Captains and his lower-ranked bridge crew were, if not two, where her own members of the Special Forces squad were.

He didn't have much time to process anything else before she stood in front of him, looking up at him expectantly. He didn't speak as he rotated on his heel 90 degrees and began walking towards the lift, hearing the click of her heels following him shortly after the hiss of the door closing behind her. He led the way to his bridge-level office, making sure not to even glance in her direction in the elevator before stepping out before her and continuing to walk, stopping once he was in front of his 'official' office – the unofficial one resided in his quarters, where he liked to spend most of the night before retiring to bed.

He put in his code and entered once the doors opened, taking a seat behind the large desk that had neat stacks of papers on one side and datapads on the other. He watched her glance around curiously before standing next to the chair directly in front of him, tucking a strand of her hair behind her right ear before looking at him. He motioned for her to sit with one hand, watching as the large chair appeared to swallow her smaller frame, but she quickly remedied that by straightening her posture and crossing one leg over the other, wordlessly showing him she was not afraid, completely unlike any other person he'd met on his ship.

"So, General…" she began, placing her interlaced fingers above her knee, "What can I do for you?"

Hux mirrored the gesture by leaning forward against his desk and interlacing his gloved fingers atop it, trying hard to control the urge that screamed at him to get her insolence in check. He regarded the younger woman solemnly, allowing a few seconds to pass in hopes to see her squirm but giving up when he saw no signs of it, unsure whether that made him like her or detest her more.

"Captain, I saw your simulation earlier today," He began, watching as she let out a loud sigh before looking towards the ceiling, his curiosity seeping through every pore.

"I was hoping you weren't gonna say that," She replied, relaxing her posture before leaning back in the chair slightly so the back of the chair supported her spine, lowering her eyes to meet his. She tucked the same strand of hair back behind her ear before resting one arm on her legs and putting the elbow of the other on the chair's armrest, waving her hand in the air slightly. "That should've been a pretty simple Sim, no ifs, ands, or buts, until one of my guys suddenly decided to go macho."

Hux looked at the woman, trying to hide the astonishment from his eyes. _That_ was simple? Most of the regular pilots would've had trouble executing just a few of her squadron's movements, much less any of her own.

Ros continued, noticing the fleeting feelings his eyes displayed regardless of how hard he tried to hide them. "Well, I guess that's my fault for thinking they were ready. But I didn't expect you of all people to be there to watch me hand Rhade's ass to him," She added, watching as his eyes displayed obvious contempt for the way she spoke, and gave him a cheeky smile. "Oh yeah, _Officer_ Rhade. I always forget you higher-in-command types like the formalities," She continued casually, trying not to chuckle at the General's reactions to how she spoke to him, even if inwardly she was dying from laughter.

"Captain Guerran," Hux spoke lowly, using his most General-like voice that usually sent his subordinates running in the opposite direction, "You should know better than to speak to your superiors in this manner. I demand to be regarded with respect and authority."

Ros's smile turned into a smirk as she uncrossed her legs and leaned forward against the desk, noticing the way Hux straightened his posture to regain the distance between them, "My apologies, _General_ ," She replied silkily, placing both her elbows on the desk and using her hands to prop up her chin, "You could tell by my quarters that my rank is barely regarded, otherwise I'd be at _least_ a whole floor above by now, a little closer to my crew. And besides," she continued with a soft 'tsk,' keeping her head propped up with her left hand and looking down at a glass that Hux had completely forgotten had even been on his desk, just before lowering her right hand to trace circles around the rim of it, "I'm sure you've looked at my file by now. Someone like you has access to confidential information, so you already know I'm not here of my own volition. Just because I agreed to those terms didn't mean I agreed to follow all the rules."

Hux's nostrils flared indignantly, his composure slipping briefly as he slapped his hands on his desk, hoping to startle her. He grew even more outraged when she didn't even flinch and couldn't bother to raise her head to look at him, merely raising those aquamarine eyes to meet his, finger stopping mid-circle on the glass' rim. "The First Order and _rules_ are one and the same, Captain Guerran. You cannot allege to one without the other. I will not allow you to continue defying authority – I can just as easy strip you of your rank and have you sent for reconditioning."

Ros allowed a soft, albeit tense, laugh escape her, dropping both hands to rest on the desk and looking at Hux boredly – he obviously wasn't expecting that reaction from her. " _General_ , you must've not read too far down into my file if you think reconditioning is something that is liable to work on me," She spoke, tightening her lips slightly in contemplation before allowing them to form a genuine smile, "Unfortunately for you, I know what I'm worth. I know how much the First Order needs me, this ship needs me, my crew needs me. I'm damn good at what I do, and don't be surprised if you encounter a _lot_ of _resistance_ when trying to get your way," she added cooly, emphasizing the word 'resistance' because she knew how much he hated it – most people on this ship did, "Colonel Kahn will be the first to object. Feel free to ask him, my numbers don't lie – crew deaths _or_ enemy deaths. Well, your enemies," She pointed out with a nonchalant wave of her hand.

Hux narrowed his eyes to glare at her, unable to peel his gaze away as he stood up suddenly, hands still splayed flat on the hard surface below as he leaned his weight forward onto them, "Captain Guerran, you underestimate me if you truly believe that I would hesitate to remove you from my ship. You are _not_ indispensable around here, and if Colonel Kahn has any issues with that, he can gladly take them up with me," he spat, leaning forward towards the woman who still hadn't even so much as trembled at his presence, "I don't care what you do with others, but you _will_ address me with the respect and authority deemed of a man much higher in command than yourself!"

Ros never broke their stare, knowing that was exactly what he was looking for, before pursing her lips to one side in disdain. "General…respect is earned, not demanded. I'm guessing by your rank that maybe you did earn it, regardless of your age. But I'm not one of your little foot-soldiers, nor like the rest of your First Order staff, so I won't crumble at the simple mention of your name. I am _not_ afraid of you, never have been, never will be. So why don't you just let me do my job and we'll stay out of each other's way, hmm?" She gave him a coy smile, repeating his earlier gesture by standing up as well and leaning forward against the desk, their faces mere inches from each other.

Hux wanted to pull back desperately, but he knew doing so would show weakness, and he was anything but that. Instead, he glowered at the shorter female, trying to not to get lost in the sea of blue-green that was tempting him to give in and claim defeat. His fingers were turning white from how hard he was pressing them against the desk's surface, and unsure as he might be as to who would be giving in first, he surely wasn't expecting what happened next.

Ros reached up swiftly and grabbed his chin with her hand, feeling him freeze in place at the quick and unanticipated touch. She gave him a devilish smirk which he was barely able to see from their close proximity, making sure to keep his face in place as she spoke, "Oh, General…you're cute, but not so cute that I wouldn't kick your ass if you drove me to it, you got that?" She uttered a soft tut, releasing her grip on his face only to use her index finger to trace his jawline, feeling it tighten at her inexplicably soft caress, "Ah, and since you keep staring…my father's Quian."

Without another word, she patted his cheek before pushing herself back from the desk and sauntering her way to the door, heels clicking dangerously as she exited and made her way to the elevator, leaving a bewildered Hux in her wake.

When the door closed behind her, all he could hear were the softening footsteps of the whirlwind that had just made an easy mess of Hux's mind and body. His head was a mix of swirling emotions – anger, excitement, disdain…maybe even a hint of fear. Possibly arousal, if he wasn't going to lie to himself. He wasn't sure what the hell had just happened but he knew he liked and hated her just the same, for equally the same reasons. He allowed his body to slump back in his chair, artificial gravity weighing him down as if he had the added pressure of a tauntaun strapped to his chest. He ran his hand through his hair absently, ignoring the now-unkempt look as he remembered her last words.

 _Quian_. He recognized the word, dredging up a definition that he'd learned at the Academy somewhere, the rusty memory picking at his brain like a worn lock. Quians were humans with naturally aqua-green eyes and light brown hair, not to mention dark skin. But Captain Guerran had only one of the three, which he could safely assume meant her mother was fair-skinned with reasonably dark hair, resulting in the chocolate-locked, olive-skinned, cyan-eyed enigma that had just left his office.

The more he thought about her, the more he wondered how she'd known that he was keenly inquisitive about her eyes – surely if she was Force-sensitive and had read his mind, Kylo Ren would've figured that out by now. This conclusion led him to unwittingly remember them staring each other down, just before she'd invaded his personal space and grabbed him by the face. He remembered his blood going cold at the touch, her fingers warm against his cool skin thanks to the recycled cold air in the room, and no thanks to his own body, a prisoner willing against his own will. Had she been someone else she'd have been dead as soon as she reached for him, but then again, had she been someone else, she wouldn't have tried it to begin with.

He sighed and reached up to trace her movements, as if doing so would remind him of the exact feel of her soft skin against his hardened jaw, unsure of why he wanted to reminisce in the first place. He now knew that speaking to her had been an incomprehensible mistake on his part – instead of putting her in her place, she'd turned the tables on him and left him wanting more, of what he didn't know. More speaking, more touching, more something, more _anything_. He'd never been so confused in his life, and it all started because he _had_ to know who that voice belonged to, regardless of where it led. He felt like his stiff posture and cold demeanor had unraveled before her eyes, as if she could see right through him and know that there was something else beneath it, something he wouldn't dare admit.

His mind drifted to recall a word the Captain's men as well as her com messages had mentioned earlier: Cantina. Hux had never been to the recreational area on the middle deck and he didn't plan on starting now, but his inquisitiveness left something to be desired, and that desire had yet to be sated. He teetered on the edge of going or eerily watching the live security footage to see what happened, and he decided that between being creepy and completely out of place (not to mention what his subordinates might do or say if they saw him there), he'd choose the former – the lesser of two evils. Mind made yet still unsure why he was doing all this in the first place, he stood up and brushed some invisible dirt off his coat before heading for the exit and towards the hallway that would lead him to his quarters.

* * *

"Holy shit, I can't believe you talked to the General like that! Are you _crazy_?! He could have you thrown out an airlock, Ros!" Leillea began, watching her freshly-showered friend putting on makeup for the night out as if nothing had happened.

"Hey, you just cussed!" Ros replied teasingly, ignoring her friend's frantic tone with an impish grin on her face as she paused long enough to look at Lei through her reflection in the mirror, rolling her eyes. "Don't freak out, I haven't even told you the best part yet."

"Oh Kriff, there's MORE? I'm surprised you're even alive right now!"

"Mmm, you have no faith. You really think I wouldn't win in a fistfight against the General?" She added, going back to applying the makeup that she hadn't been wearing earlier that day, "Besides, he froze as soon as I touched him. I wonder if he's a virgin…or maybe he's inclined towards males, if you get my drift. What do you think?" She peeled her gaze away from her face to look at her friend, eyes widening in surprise. "What?"

"You…you WHAT?! Please tell me you didn't. Ros, this is a joke, right? Please tell me you didn't actually touch the General of the First _fucking_ Order," Leillea cried, sinking onto her bed in defeat, her chagrin painfully evident on her face.

"Awww, Lei, I'm so proud of you! If I knew this is what it would take to get you to curse, I would've done it a lot sooner."

" _Ros_ , I'm serious! THIS is serious! Oh no…" Lei bolted up suddenly, looking over at the brunette with a mortified look on her face, "You didn't tell him I was your friend, did you? He'll probably find out. I'll be demoted for sure! I'll probably be shucked off to another ship where my career will end in boredom and misery…"

Ros's gleeful look turned somber and she set her brush down, turning to face her friend next to her. She crossed her arms, eyebrows furrowing angrily before she spoke, "I swear to Kriff, Lei, if he tries anything like that, I'll personally throw _him_ out an airlock," she sighed, waving her hand towards her friend, "I don't think he would, though. He doesn't seem like that type of guy…at least, I hope not," she gave a small shrug, scratching the back of her neck at her friend's glower in her direction, "Look, I don't plan on having any other meetings with said General, so I'm pretty sure I'm okay. I'll try and steer clear of him as best I can, but I can't help it when he comes looking for me straight to where I sleep and all. Just don't worry about it, okay? I'm sure it was a one time thing."

"I sure hope so. I'm more worried about you than me. Talking back to the Colonel or those Omega jerks is one thing, but the General…I'm not so sure even you can swing by unscathed," Lei replied, letting out a concerned sigh before shaking her head.

Ros rolled her eyes playfully before standing up and motioning to the clothes she'd brought with her laid out on the sofa. "I'll be fine, Lei. Now get over here, you need to pick an outfit to wear."


	3. Creeps & Cantinas

**Author's Note: Thanks to all that followed and reviewed, I really appreciate it! 3**

 **Gilyflower: I'm so glad you like it! This chapter is a little slow but I hope you'll like it as well! :)**

 **Guest: Trust me, it'll get more interesting towards the end of this chapter and the next few, which I've got written out but I just need to proof read. I hope you'll enjoy them, too! :)**

 **Let me know what you guys think! Many hugs to all of you!**

Chapter 3

Ros stepped out of Leillea's room an hour or so later, tugging her friend along by the hand. "Come _on_ , Lei, let's _go_! You look fine, I promise. No, actually, you look _FIIIINEEEE_ ," Ros added, snapping her fingers a few times to make her point as the pair made their way to the elevator that would take them to the middle deck.

"You don't think it's too tight? I'm not used to this type of material," Lei replied, giving herself a once over once they'd stepped into the lift.

Ros gave her a grin, putting her hands on her hips as she looked at her friend wearing the form-fitting blue material on her legs, with a modest, pretty red blouse to match the red flat-heeled shoes she was sporting. "Of course not! It'll be easy to dance in, you'll be beating them off with a stick. Or I'll be beating them off you with a stick, they won't know what hit 'em," She replied, giving her a teasing wink and seeing the bashful look on her friend's face. "Lei, you're gorgeous, quit acting like you're not and exude some confidence. Maybe Stevens will ask you to dance with him…or I can make him if you want," She added, watching Lei's features turn from blushing to mortified before she felt her friend grab her by the arms.

"Don't you _dare_ , Ros! I'll kill you first!" Lei shook her, unable to help the smile creeping to her face when Ros merely laughed in response.

"Okay, okay. I'm pretty sure he likes you, I don't know why he hasn't tried it yet," Ros shrugged, keeping up with her friend's pace to the cantina even in her significantly higher heels, "As long as he doesn't upset you, him and his crotch would be just fine."

"He's probably too scared of you to even try…I swear, sometimes being your friend has some unforeseen consequences," Lei replied jokingly, almost to the wide entrance of the cantina where music could already be heard from.

"Well, you're pretty much like my sister, it's my duty to protect you," She replied with a smile as they reached the door and took a few steps in, her lips widening to a smirk when she spotted her crew at the usual spot against the wall on the left, towards the back. She hooked her arm in Lei's and led the way, both of them knowing exactly where they were going as they weaved their way through the crowd that had already formed inside the large room, and would only get bigger as the rest of the day cycle _Finalizer_ crew finished their rotation and the usual suspects arrived for some much needed R&R.

The men had pushed the two round tables together to fit all twelve of them, although most of them tended to drift to and from the space as the night wore on, with the usual one or two staying behind to take a break from the music. The place was dark but with just enough light for people to be able to see each other from a short distance, upping the sensuality of the atmosphere and raising the level of intimacy like regular cantinas, a complete 180 from what the cantina looked like during the day, with one barkeep and a few officers here and there scattered throughout, most of them at the large bar area.

As the ten men watched Ros approach, all of them but one gave her a friendly nod of the head, the one who didn't stiffening his posture and not sure whether to rise to greet her or do what the rest of them had just done, their usual greeting to their Captain during off hours. Even in the dim light she was able to see her Lieutenant visibly gulp when Leillea came into his view, trying to keep his cool and act nonchalant when the cute blonde took a seat across from him.

"Hey guys," Ros chirped, pushing the stool aside for the time being with her foot as she leaned on the table, using her arms for support, "Glad to see you're all here, as usual," She glanced around at her relaxed men who all held a glass in their hand, most of them drinking some form of whiskey. She smirked when she caught Rhade's eyes, the ebony-haired male unable to look away from her as if paralyzed.

"Rhade… _so_ glad to see you made it," She purred, giving him a devilish smile as she leaned forward towards him, who was still frozen in place, "Now, most likely the boys didn't tell you what happens when you mess up, right?" She glanced around at the table, approving of the visible head shakes she received from her men – they'd been warned not to tell whoever messed up what happens if they didn't know already, since she liked seeing the person's scared face and then relief when she finally told them – before setting her sights back on Adam Rhade.

"Very good. So, Rhade, I hope you've been saving up your credits because tonight, first round is on you for everyone. Then every round after that for me and Lei. Oh, and the last round for everyone, too. Got it?" Her smirk calmed into a smile when she saw the male's face go from absolute fear to relief when she finished, allowing herself a laugh, "Chill out, Rhade. Just don't mess up again or you're off the squad."

She gave the male a grin before turning to the rest of them, "So, the usual guys?" She paused when she watched them nod their heads in response before turning to Leillea, "What about you?"

Lei gave a quick sideways glance at Officer Rhade before waving her hand in his direction, "Well, since Adam's paying and all…I'll take some Merenzane Gold."

Ros laughed at the _"You too?"_ look Rhade gave Lei before putting her hands on her hips, the evil grin never leaving her face, "Attagirl. I'll be back!" She gave the ten of them a small wave before heading towards the large bar, where her usual barkeep was stationed.

"Hey, Dez!" She piped up over the music, catching the human's attention who invariably smiled at her before she leaned forward on the counter so he could hear her better, "You still got my bottle saved?" She uttered quietly near his ear, watching the same-heighted (thanks to her heels) male laugh before reaching into a shelf under the bar.

"Of course. Who messed up this time?" The older man replied to her, grabbing a glass and pouring one of the most expensive drinks available to them – Alderaanian Ruge. He handed it to her and watched as she began to sip it while he grabbed a tray and filled it with twelve shot glasses.

"Rhade," Ros replied, her smile hidden behind the rim of the glass. It'd been a while since she'd had the exquisite drink, the burn of the alcohol causing her cheeks to gain a soft tint of red as the smooth liqueur made its way down her throat. Dez already knew what to pour in the shot glasses – Whyren's Reserve, her favorite expensive whiskey to down whenever someone else was paying the tab for their mistake.

"Ahhh…his tab it is, then," Dez replied, already imagining the look on Officer Rhade's face when he received the check at the end of the night. The thought made him chuckle, especially since not only he, but all of Captain Guerran's men (including Rhade) knew how high her tolerance was. "What's the beautiful Sergeant having this evening? Her usual as well?"

"You know it," Ros replied, laughing as she finished the glass Dez had just poured for her and remembering how delicious her own favorite was – it was strong, though, much more than Whyren's and Merenzane combined, which also helped raise it's price tag. Lucky for Rhade, though, since it _was_ so strong, he probably wouldn't be buying as many as he expected from having seen Ros' previous drinking habits.

"All drinks for you and the Sergeant on his tab, then. And this round and the last round, if I remember correctly? It's been a while since you've had a mistake from your crew. So long that I think you bought your last glass of Ruge, yes?" Dez continued playfully as he finished pouring the Gold and refilled the Captain's own glass, very well knowing the Captain's reputation for ruthlessness and merciless training of her squadron.

"Mmm, yes indeed, although I think some poor Stormtrooper tried to buy me a drink one time and when I told him what I wanted, he said he couldn't afford it," She laughed, placing her glass on the tray before giving Dez a wink, "Thanks Dez. I'll see you soon!" And with that, she picked up the heavy tray and easily made her way back to the table, setting it down on the flat surface and watching each of the men grabbing a shot glass, leaving two for the women as well as their own drinks.

"To Rhade! Let that be your _only_ mistake," Ros cheered playfully, glasses clinking before all twelve of them drank the liquor, Leillea being the slowest and making a face when she finished.

"Ugh, I'll never get used to that taste," She laughed, grabbing her glass of Gold and taking a sip, "Hmm, I bet you already finished your first glass, didn't you?" She asked, nodding at the clear crystal with red liquid inside held tightly by Ros' hand.

"Well of course," She grinned, looking at the mug of Tarisian Ale in Lieutenant Stevens' hand and allowing her eyes to widen slightly, pointing at it, "I hope Rhade's paying for that."

The Lieutenant laughed, raising the glass to her before taking a drink, "Of course. Special occasion."

Ros rolled her eyes before glancing at the rest of her men, most of whom had glasses of Corellian whiskey except for one – one of her Sergeants. "Ahh, Chandrilan brandy, Kyja? It definitely IS a special occasion," she chuckled, looking at the blue-eyed male with an approving gaze before getting distracted by the sound of a different song coming on, which led her to gasp and grab her friends' hand, "Lei…we _have_ to!" She didn't give the younger of the two a chance to respond before she pulled her away from the table and to the dance floor, weaving their way through the crowd.

Officer Rhade stole a glance between his fair, medium, and dark skinned comrades before looking at the ominous glass of red sitting across from him – the Captain knew her men would watch their drinks for them without ever having to utter a word, and he cleared his throat before he looked over to his senior officer. "Hey, Lieu…how much does a glass of that cost?"

The Lieutenant gave a laugh amongst the rest of his men's chuckles, shaking his head, "Trust me, you don't want to know."

* * *

Hux had used the facial recognition feature in the security system to follow Captain Guerran's movements, recognizing the bottle of Whyren's the bartender poured out of when she'd been at the bar, the exact same-looking bottle sitting in front of him on the caf table, and a glass of the brown liquid held loosely in his hand, resting on the arm of the large leather chair he sat in. The woman had looked stunning, he had to admit – the security system had pulled up the feed from outside Sergeant Summers' quarters as soon as it had recognized the Captain's face, and he'd sat there numbly for a few minutes trying to figure out where she'd gotten such clothes from – she must've had them somewhere on her ship when she was captured and allowed to retrieve them at some point.

It was obvious to him the Sergeant was wearing her friends clothes, obviously not exactly comfortable in such clothing, whereas the Captain wore a pair of shorts made of the same material as her friends pants, revealing a pair of tanned legs that matched the rest of her skin. She was wearing a black form-fitting top made of some type of soft, matte material, which had a v-neck incision in the front. Her hair was down and wavy, what he assumed was its natural texture, and her shorter stature was aided by a pair of tall black stilettos, making him wonder how she could possibly even walk in such a pair of footwear – it certainly looked painful.

He'd watched them the entire way on the large holo screen before him, finally seeing for the first time what one of the cantinas on his ship looked like. It was large, the atmosphere much like the boozy cantinas on the various planets he'd visited, and as the security feed switched cameras to keep up with the Captain, he managed to notice a few faces here and there from his bridge crew – even Mitaka was there, downing a glass of some type of brandy and speaking to a woman Hux had never seen before.

His attention was brought back to the dark-haired woman as she spoke to her men, and he felt himself relax more with help from the whiskey, taking long, deliberate sips as the alcohol dulled his feelings of confusion and frustration. He was curious to know the words being exchanged, and he began his second glass by the time she'd made it to the bar, using his datapad to zoom in on the feed and try to read her lips to understand what she was saying – luckily, lip-reading had been one of the basic skills learned at the Academy, for instances when one might need to do so if spying on a person, perhaps. Surely this wasn't what they meant when they said spying on someone, but he let that thought pass as he observed – even if he'd wanted to use the audio function on the security system, he was sure there was too much noise to even properly hear what was being said, so he continued using his eyes to read instead.

He'd finished the second glass by the time the Captain and Sergeant made it to the dance floor, and he refilled a third, swirling the drink gently before his eyes widened suddenly at what he was seeing. He watched as the two women began to move with the music, one in front of the other, in the tight, people-filled space that appeared to him to be some type of dance floor, considering that was what everyone was doing in that area. Although it was a little hard for him to see, he zoomed out enough to be able to see her from a little further away, and it was obvious the Captain's friend was not as confident as she was in moving her body sensually and to the beat of the music, the audio which Hux had decided to put on a very low volume. His mouth ran dry suddenly and he took a big swig of whiskey, watching the Captain's form move fluidly and erotically, simultaneously thankful and not that he wasn't the one she was moving against.

As he took another drink, he realized that she wasn't dancing _with_ anyone, although it wasn't for a lack of men trying. Each time she'd felt someone get too close to her, she'd turned around and told them what he could understand as "I'm good, thanks" before the men sulked away and looked for another not-quite-as-capable and probably not-quite-as-beautiful dance partner. Normally, he would've stopped by the second glass and gone to bed but this was much more entertaining, the effects of the alcohol dissuading his annoyance with her and allowing it to turn to fascination, each sip increasing the magnitude.

The glass was halfway to his mouth when he spotted one of the men she'd turned down earlier return in a drunken rage. Her and Summers had been dancing for at least two or three songs now, stopping only to take two more sets of shots and more sips of their drinks and they were swaying more fluidly now, the effects of the alcohol and their heightened temperatures from dancing having a loosening effect on their bodies – it was obvious that if they weren't drunk, they were well on their way there; or, at least, Summers was – the Captain wasn't stumbling like her friend, but he could tell the alcohol was still having effect. He managed another sip before the man reached Guerran, and Hux set down his glass on the caf table as he leaned forward and let his hands hang loosely over his legs, his eyes narrowing to see what would happen.

The man suddenly walked up to the Captain and appeared to begin arguing with her, his drunken words too messy for the General to read, if they could even be considered words. He watched the angered look on Captain Guerran's features as she placed her hands on her hips and began countering the man's worded assault with a verbal one of her own, standing up to the man who was at least twice her size. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the men in her squadron that remained at the table suddenly on alert upon seeing this, but not moving a muscle which made Hux question their loyalty to their Captain. Without peeling his eyes from the holoscreen, Hux shot his hand forward and grabbed his com, about to call a few security stormtroopers to the cantina when the man grabbed the Captain by the wrist in an attempt to take her somewhere else, but he set the com back down hesitantly when he saw the woman's reaction to this physical force.

Glued to the screen, Hux's jaw dropped as he watched the Captain maneuver her body around without a second thought, switching the tables and grabbing the man's wrist before positioning herself behind his back, never letting go of his arm. The man yelped in pain and she used a stiletto to kick the man's knee forward, causing him to kneel on the floor while she held his wrist the entire time. He could almost hear the 'crack' when Captain Guerran simultaneously let go of his wrist and kicked his back with her heel, sending him toppling forward and to the ground in a crumpled heap, just before she turned and looked in the direction of the security Stormtroopers that had originally been stationed near the door, but had made their way towards her when the commotion started. The crowd parted to allow them through, and each trooper grabbed an arm before dragging the man towards the exit of the cantina, where Hux lost view of them before he looked back to see the Captain laughing.

Slightly horrified, Hux was able to make out the Captain asking her friend if she wanted to take a break before the two made their way back to the table, where the squadron's three senior officers were left – the others had disappeared somewhere in the cantina, and Hux now knew why none of them had rushed to her aid; the woman was obviously capable of taking care of herself. He watched the three of them clap at their Captain as she approached, earning a hearty laugh from the petite woman before she gave them a small, albeit playful, bow and took a seat. He was able to make out the two male Sergeants telling her they were going to grab a few drinks leaving the Captain, Lieutenant Stevens, and Sergeant Summers sitting at the table. He watched as she grabbed her glass, suddenly glancing to her friend and giving her a nod before urging her to go, confusing Hux until he saw Lieutenant Stevens take the Sergeant's hand and lead her to the dance floor, leaving her alone at the large table.

Hux zoomed in on her face as she glanced over her shoulder at the two, almost missing the forlorn look in her eyes as she watched the happy pair. As if scolding herself for being weak, she shook her head before turning back to her drink and swirling it gently in her hand before taking the last drink the glass held for her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and reminding Hux of the same motion she'd done earlier that day in his office. He thought about the look on her face and reality hit him when he remembered he'd seen that look many times in his own eyes when looking in the mirror, shortly before having the exact same reaction she just had. He'd longed for a stronger type of connection, something more than just sex which is the exact same reason why he'd stopped indulging in it casually, throwing himself into his work and giving his mind something else to think about. Everyone saw him as cold, callous, ruthless and probably even evil but somehow, she'd seen through all that in a few minutes of speaking with him and that's when he realized they had more similarities than he'd originally thought. Although their personalities were vastly different, deep down they felt the same and it was at that time that he understood why he hadn't seen any partners in her file – she wasn't hiding them, she was purposefully not having any.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he noticed someone eerily familiar approaching the striking Captain and it took him a moment and another drink of Whyren's to realize who it was. He almost hadn't recognized him out of his uniform, but wearing a suit (like many other officers wore out off-duty) and approaching with the same stride as on the bridge, Hux gripped the glass tightly as the man gently touched the Captain's arm and she whirled around in surprise, obviously half-expecting it to be the man from earlier.

 _Opan._

Hux watched the brief look of relief on Captain Guerran's face as she saw who had approached her, smiling at him and apologizing for being so abrupt. Opan simply returned her gesture before introducing himself as Captain Tritt Opan, at which point Guerran's face lit up in recognition and she beamed up at him, telling him he must be the one who approves all her simulations. Trying to hide his smugness at being recognized by what he considered the most beautiful woman on _Finalizer_ , Opan gestured to her drink and offered to get her another, not missing the look of hesitation before the Captain told him what she was drinking. As if it merely cost as much as a mug of Corellian ale, Opan gave her a flirty smile before telling her he'd be right back – Hux knew price was of no matter to a Captain who worked directly under him, they didn't get paid quite as many credits as himself but they still made much more than anyone else on the ship.

Still gripping the glass angrily, he downed the rest of it before pouring himself another, unsure why he was jealous but merely pinning it to the alcohol, even though deep down he knew otherwise. He watched Opan return with two glasses of the red liquid, his stride not missing a step as he made his way back to the table and handed a glass to her, offering her a cheers which she gladly returned with a click of her glass against his. The two began conversing what Hux could make out as small talk, mainly questions Opan asked her about herself, some more personal ones (such as the ones about her family) going unanswered with a smile and a tip of her glass in Opan's direction. She was halfway through her drink when something caught her attention, and Hux watched as she stood up out of the stool and it became evident why as her Lieutenant and Summers were headed in her direction, the latter of the two a stumbling mess.

Captain Guerran looked back to Opan, giving him an apologetic smile before gently squeezing his arm and thanking him for the drink. Hux was relieved when she began to walk away from Opan, until he watched Opan stand and grab her hand, causing her to turn in his direction with a confused stare. Her face became flushed (more than it already was, thanks to the alcohol) when Opan lifted her hand to his lips and gave it a flirty kiss, telling the attractive young Captain that he hoped to see her again soon. Hux smacked the bottom of the finished glass of Whyren's on the caf table with a loud 'whack,' getting some satisfaction when she simply gave him an embarrassed smile before taking her hand back and meeting her Lieutenant halfway.

Hux placed his elbows on his knees, interlocked hands pressing against his lips when he leaned towards the holoscreen. He watched with narrowed eyes as the Lieutenant offered to take Summers' to her quarters, which Hux expected her to agree to in her state, but was mildly surprised when she declined and gave him a quick, friendly hug before telling him to tell everyone she said goodbye and to tell Rhade thanks. She wrapped an arm around her best friend's waist and gave Stevens a thumbs-up before heading towards the door, leaving Hux to wonder how she was walking so well after all those drinks, _while_ helping someone else, _and_ in those high heels. He watched her help her friend along, making it to the elevator at a slowed pace to help Summers keep up before they reached the right floor and she took her to her quarters, putting in Summers code. Hux frowned at this blatant disregard of the guidelines – those codes were supposed to be personal and confidential, but shortly after reminded himself that Captain Guerran was the embodiment of breaking the rules.

He half-wondered if the Captain was going to stay in her friend's quarters after she didn't immediately emerge, but that thought disappeared after she came out 10-15 minutes later, pausing in front of the door as it closed behind her. Hux watched as she placed her hands on her hips, taking a deep breath as if she'd just performed a sweat-bearing task which made him wonder if Sergeant Summers had retched in the refresher and the Captain had had to hold her hair or clean up after her. _"She's certainly a good friend,"_ Hux recognized, thoughts creeping into a darker side of his conscious that made him realize he didn't really know what a friend was. He was about to get up and place the empty glass in his sink when he spotted a mass of black entering the same elevator Captain Guerran was headed towards, making him freeze in place, hand outstretched towards the glass and heart in the bottom of his stomach.

" _If she says anything to him like she did to me, he'll kill her. She's going to die. I need to do something,"_ Hux panicked, the alcohol sweeping through his system and clouding his judgment, as if forgetting he was no match for Kylo Ren. Where he normally would've left the situation alone and hoped for the best, he now ran around his living rooms frantically searching for his boots. When he finally found them, he put them on, still in his uniform minus his greatcoat and heading for the exit, hoping he got there in time to keep a horrible disaster from happening.


	4. Drunk But Sober

**A/N:**

 **Gilyflower: Hehe, thanks so much for your review! Hopefully their encounter turns out as you'd hoped - this chapter won't be the last time she runs into Kylo Ren! Enjoy! :)**

* * *

Chapter 4

Ros entered the elevator, barely registering the other presence near her until she leaned her back against the wide handle on the side of the lift and lifted her head to look forward. Instead of flinching in surprise like he probably expected her to, she tilted her head to the side slightly and regarded him with genuine curiosity in her aquamarine eyes, staring at the emotionless hooded mask as he stood there, arms at his sides and hands clenched into fists. The alcohol had begun to drain from her system as she'd talked with Opan, her fast metabolism making quick work of the strong drinks and being at fault for her having such a high tolerance, not to mention helping Lei to her room and getting her situated had assisted in removing that particular feeling in her body she allowed herself to indulge in every two weeks. Although she wasn't sober, she definitely wasn't drunk and could easily pass for being completely so, minus the smell of alcohol on her clothes from the cantina.

Without dropping her gaze, she lifted herself just slightly to rest her bottom on the railing as well as her palms, leaning her weight against it as she smiled at him. She couldn't tell if he was looking at her or not, but she guessed that he was and was proven correct when the distorted voice spoke to her through the mask.

"You're not afraid."

Ros let out a soft laugh, reaching up and tucking that same stray hair behind her ear as she usually did, giving him a tiny shrug, "No, I'm not. Why should I be?" She replied, watching as he took a few steps towards her and closed half the distance between them before responding.

"Do you know who I am?"

She quirked an eyebrow in response, motioning to him with a wave of her hand before replying, "You're Kylo Ren, right? Or, I guess I should say, _Commander_ Kylo Ren," She added the last part with a grin, remembering how pissed Hux had been at her informality when she'd addressed him, "I've heard a lot about you. Mostly bad things, truthfully, but I don't know you, so I'm not going to judge on other people's opinions," She added with another wave of her hand, expecting him to say something but never taking her eyes off of his mask as he closed the distance and stood directly in front of her, inches from her face.

She was now looking up into his visor, his height a few inches taller than her and her eyebrows furrowed slightly as she waited for him to say something, yet nothing came. "Quiet type, huh?" She spoke quietly, curiosity surging when she saw her reflection in his mask. She noticed the way her aqua-green eyes shone against the dull metal and, against all sensible judgement and giving in to her inquisitive spurt, she reached up with her right hand and traced around the edge of his visor, wondering if he was going to pull away. When he didn't, she moved her eyes upwards to the silver lines above where his eyes were probably staring holes into her and she lightly traced them with her fingers, just before moving them back down around the side of the mask and stopping where his cheek probably was behind tit. She was in such a trance she didn't even register the elevator door opening, parting her lips to speak but a sudden familiar voice stopping her in her tracks.

"Captain Guerran," Hux began, stepping into the elevator and grabbing the wrist of the hand whose fingertips were still on Kylo Ren's mask, suppressing the urge to yell at her for letting Ren get so close but instead took the opportunity of her being surprised for once and tugged on her before turning and pulling her out into the corridor.

Ros didn't have time to register her surprise as she was pulled in the direction of the exit, accidentally grazing her body and free hand against Kylo Ren since they were so close to each other as she was moved. Her heels clicked on the ground as she tried to keep pace with the taller male that was General Hux, ignoring the feeling of eyes boring into her back as she yelled out.

"Hey! Let go of me, asshole!" She exclaimed, pulling her hand away and out of Hux's grasp, stopping in her tracks and glaring at him as he turned around to face her, "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Hux didn't reply as he looked past her to Kylo Ren, who exited the elevator and walked past the two without saying anything else, yet not having to. He heard the Captain yell 'Nice to meet you, bro!' in Ren's direction and Hux scowled, knowing she'd probably done it just to get under his skin after seeing the way he'd looked at the temperamental Commander. He knew that Ren had seen it all, and would easily use the way Captain Guerran had spoken to and acted towards him to the General's disadvantage – an example of undermining his authority. Hux felt his blood boil at the thought and before he could answer her earlier question, Captain Guerran was already heading back to the elevator in fury, with Hux's longer strides quickly catching up to her. The door closed behind them and Hux pushed in the elevator lock button before putting in the code that would freeze the security footage in place, stopping them from recording the conversation he was about to have with her.

He walked up to the angry chocolate-haired beauty that had pressed herself against the railing on the back wall of the lift, hands on her hips as she stared him down with a look that spoke of pure venom. Standing directly in front of her but a few further inches apart than Kylo Ren had been, he held his fists tight at his sides as he returned the stare, ego bruised and rank disregarded by the younger woman before him.

"What the hell was that for?" She finally spat, tired of simply staring at the handsome General before her without either of them saying a word.

"He could've killed you, you know that? Kylo Ren is not someone to be played with," Hux replied icily, the irritated roll of her eyes grating at his patience as much as her insolence.

"I'm pretty sure if he wanted to kill me he would've done so already, yet here I am," She replied, using her hands to motion to herself and the rest of her body, "But if it makes you feel better, I called him _Commander_ Kylo Ren when he asked me if I knew who he was."

Hux stared at her, momentarily speechless as he tried to figure out why Ren would ask her such a thing. He clenched his jaw and took a step forward at her obvious ridicule of the ranks in the First Order, closing the distance between them even further to show her he meant business. " _You_ …" He began, pointing an ungloved (for once) finger at her and lowering his face slightly towards hers, "He _can_ and he _will_ kill you, _Captain_. You have no idea what he is capable of, you haven't seen what I've seen," He continued, too drunk to realize that he was pressing the tip of said finger against her skin.

"Why do you _care_?" She replied warily, watching the fleeting look of resentment and jealousy pass his pale features, obviously unable to fully control them. A sudden wave of realization hit her and her eyes widened slightly, reaching up to grab his wrist with her hand and turn the tables on him this time. She knew he wasn't expecting her to do so, so she used that temporary moment of surprise to pull him gently towards her, watching him stumble before she placed her free hand on his chest and stared straight up into his eyes. Her features softened long enough for him to notice, moving her face towards his before shifting slightly and taking a deep breath near his jaw, her breath tickling the side of his cheek as she spoke.

"You're drunk, aren't you?"

Hux recoiled away from her as if he'd just been bitten by a snake, taking a step back and involuntarily stumbling gently, the Whyren's he'd downed too quickly taking its toll on him. He glared at her as if she'd just insulted him, pressing his back against the elevator doors to keep from showing her any other signs that what she said were true.

"Have you been drinking by yourself?" She asked suddenly, taking this chance as her turn to close the distance between them, crossing her arms in front of her chest and looking at him like he was a child who'd just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, "You know that's not good for you."

Hux coiled his hands into fists, completely confused by the woman who stood before him, the only one to genuine catch his interest for the first time in his life. The others had been mere bedwarmers, something to relieve some tension briefly before he sent them back to the other side of _Finalizer_ , where he'd never have to see them again. He took a dry swallow before parting his lips to speak, ignoring the fact that he felt like he was being suffocated inside his uniform from the sudden heat he hadn't noticed before. "Why do _you_ care?" He retorted, pointing at her accusingly, "You've been drinking just as well!"

Ros froze momentarily, eyes widening as she relaxed her arms to be at her sides. "How do you know that?" She replied, almost missing the brief guilty look in his eyes before continuing, "How did you even know I was in here with Kylo Ren?" She whispered, a whirlwind of emotions suddenly stirring up within her as she looked at him, taking in his slightly disheveled appearance. She let out a soft sigh before running a hand through her hair, unsure what to think of the General who'd just yelled at her earlier that day. Before second-guessing herself, she grabbed his arm gently and pulled him away from the door, pushing the lock button before putting in the code that he'd placed earlier.

"You can't do that!" Hux spoke up suddenly, pointing at the control panel, "How'd you know my code? That's against regulations!"

Ros couldn't help but laugh and roll her eyes at him, watching the door open to reveal the same corridor they'd just been in, thankfully empty. "I watched you put it in and memorized the numbers, obviously," She added, motioning to the hallway, "Now do you want me to walk you or do you think you've got it the rest of the way?"

Hux gave her an affronted look before stepping outside, suddenly full of composure and regality. He didn't look back as he walked to his quarters, not missing a step and appearing completely sober to anyone walking by. As he approached the entrance to his rooms, he chanced a sideways glance back towards the elevator, thankful the Captain wasn't looking in his direction, but instead seemed to be thinking deeply about something as she stared at the floor, back resting against the lift's wall and ankles crossed while one of her hand's fingertips were pressed against her lips. As he stepped inside, he walked over to the chair he'd been sitting in earlier, letting out a loud sigh as he sat and placed his face in his hands, cradling it somberly. _"Hux, get ahold of yourself. What the hell have you just done?"_

Ros awoke early the next cycle to work on her ship, but not before stopping by Lei's quarters to check in on her again. She'd come by with some clear-broth soup and Rx tea for her, which the blonde had accepted graciously. Ros had yet to tell her what happened, but she figured it'd be better if she waited until Lei actually felt normal again – she really didn't want to clean up any more puke.

Wearing her favorite outfit to work in, a black form-fitting (but not tight) sleeveless short jumpsuit to keep from catching it on anything, as well as a pair of light black boots, she made her way to the docking bay where her baby was waiting for her, toolbox in hand. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun to keep it out of her way while she worked, and as she walked into the docking bay, she ignored the wolf-whistles coming from the opposite side of where her squadron's TIEs were docked, choosing instead to lift her middle finger in the direction they were coming from – _always_ from Omega.

She could feel a few sets of eyes watching her but she ignored them and everyone else around her, assuming she was being watched by the usual suspects who'd just cat-called her as she made her way to her ship, a small smile framing her face when she saw the parts already there and waiting for her. She walked up to the large ship, her figure almost caricature-like standing next to it as she let out a soft sigh and placed what she considered the galaxy's smallest earbuds into her ears, pressing a button on the side of the one in her right ear to begin the music before turning it up so she couldn't hear anything else.

"I'm sorry baby girl, blame it on Rhade," She began, trailing her fingers along the side of the Silencer as she took in the damage for the first time. She knew one of the forks was broken, but she wasn't sure if there was damage anywhere else, mainly on the inside part of the left wing and possibly underneath the hull where she'd heard the broken part of the fork scrape and bump hard against the ship. She stepped next to the docked TIE, slowly walking along its length and every so often running her fingers against a section that looked scratched, thankful it wasn't (yet) worse. She crawled underneath to reach the underbelly of the ship, finally getting to the middle section beneath the cabin and freezing in place, eyes widening.

"Shit," She grumbled, pulling a specialized wrench tool out of her toolbox she'd dragged along with her and removing the bolts to gain access underneath the panel, "I'm sure if the power cell array was messed up I probably might not have even made it back here, so hopefully it's nothing…" she added, removing the panel itself and setting it aside before grabbing her light tool out of the box, shining it inside and taking a peek around, pursing her lips to the side. "Okay, power cells are good, now let's take a look at the trunk lines over here…" She mumbled to herself, wiggling in the almost too-tight space to get a good look, using the light to assist her.

"Well, fuck me sideways," She spat angrily, her voice reverberating in the hull of the ship, "Of course one of the damn converter coils is broken. Just my luck. Rhade, when I see you I'm going to kick your ass," She muttered, crawling back out of the confined area and out from underneath the ship, grease already on her face and arms from where she'd unwittingly rubbed against various internal parts of it. She was too immersed in her thoughts and music to notice the three pairs of eyes watching her from a distance, one set further away (for the time being) than the other two that belonged to two people standing next to each other.

She walked up the steps of the dock, humming along to the lyrics of the Heavy-Isotope music genre that she undeniably called her favorite, every so often throwing in a head bob to match the beat of the electric quetarras, drums, and bass before walking across the top section of the ship to gain access to the cabin, pressing her hand against a control panel to be allowed entry. The hatch opened and she peeked in, smiling when she saw what she was looking for and reaching the upper half of her body in to grab it, pulling herself back out when she had the datapad in hand. She stood and pulled up the parts order, typing in the number she'd already memorized for the coil as well as the panel before grinning triumphantly when the order was sent. She then walked to the uppermost part of the left wing, setting the datapad down a little ways away before reaching out and grabbing one of the solar panels, using it to pull herself over into the space between the two forks and treading carefully along the wing, using the upper fork for support just in case. When she arrived at the ideal spot to asses any possible damage, she slowly crouched to face the dock where her ship sat still, reaching a hand out to feel for anything loose.

"Well, laser cannon is fine, at least. Got some scratches, but I can fix that right up with the paint I have left over," She spoke aloud, unaware that anyone was actually listening to her, "That fork is another story, but for now…" she continued rambling to herself, standing back up in the wing before cautiously making her way back to the main section of the ship and jumping onto it. She then picked up the datapad and made her way back towards the steps, looking at the quick response on her order before setting it down next to the large, heavy parts on the floor. "Now how the fuck am I going to get you up there?" She muttered to herself, twirling the specialized wrench in her hand before feeling the earbuds suddenly dislodge themselves from her ears as if on their own, causing her to freeze momentarily in confusion.

"I didn't realize technicians could hold the rank of Captain," the distorted voice spoke suddenly, the brown pair of eyes watching her hidden behind the usual mask.

Ros whirled around to face Kylo Ren, who stood in his usual black attire with his arms folded in front of his chest. She blinked once before letting out a soft laugh, grabbing the earbuds that were floating in front of her face and turning them off, placing them in one of her front pockets before setting her hands on her hips. "Ah, it's you again. And that's because I'm not a _technician_ , I'm a pilot," She corrected him, noticing the horrified looks and suddenly stiff postures of the people working nearby.

"And what's a pilot doing working on a ship?" He replied, uncrossing his arms and looking her up and down briefly, noticing the streaks of grease on her face and arms.

"I work on my own ship, thank you," She replied, looking back towards the Silencer with fondness before continuing, "I don't trust anyone else to do it right, so I do it myself. It's better that way, I think," She added, slowly turning back to face him and giving him a small shrug.

Kylo Ren closed the distance between them, the hood over his mask giving him an ominous look as he stared down at her, trying to intimidate. "And where'd you learn how to work on ships?"

Ros kinked an eyebrow, standing her ground and raising her face to never break eye contact with his vizor, where she assumed his eyes to be, "I don't give away my secrets, Mr. Ren. And please don't try to get into my head, it won't work," She added, gently tapping the side of her face at her temple before placing her hand back on her hip, "Speaking of, you're a Force user, yes? Can I bug you to help me lift some heavy shit?"

Ren stared at her quizzically, his emotions thankfully hidden behind his helmet. The more he spoke to the woman, the more confused and intrigued she made him, and even more, he was still unsure why he hadn't killed her yet. He should've as soon as she'd touched him the night previous, but even now he was holding himself back at her blatant defiance, though he didn't know the reasons why. He crossed his arms in front of his chest again, choosing to bargain with her and see if it would work, even if what he really wanted to do was to invade the privacy of her mind anyway. "Answer my earlier question."

Ros sighed and scratched the back of her neck, giving him a shrug, "Fine. But you better help me, you hear?" She paused, giving him a contemplative look, "I learned it from my father, he built ships for a living and taught me everything I know," She said the last sentence quietly, a sad smile on her lips before she shook herself out of her stupor and began heading for the dock's stairs, "Now keep your end of the deal, okay?" She called out behind her, making her way back over to the wing she'd been on and using the same method to get on it as earlier, this time heading all the way to the broken end of the fork before looking down at him to see he was still there. He was, so she reached up and began unscrewing the broken section of the heavy cannon and, just as she was about to let it fall to the floor with a loud 'thud,' she watched as the part seemed to float in the air before landing on the ground near Ren's feet. She smiled over her shoulder at him and pointed at a piece that looked the same except this one was longer, and watched as it floated over to her and perfectly into the spot she was about to screw it into.

"Man, I never get tired of seeing that shit," She mumbled, making her way further to the tip of the wing before pointing at another part and helping it into place above the cannon where it belonged once it reached her. She then pointed to the last remaining part, which she placed under the cannon and snapped it into place once it had reached her, as well. She glanced over her shoulder and grinned at Kylo Ren before beginning her trek back towards the main section of the ship, letting out a soft yelp when she felt herself being pulled off the wing and placed on the ground, directly before the same man she'd just grinned at.

"What do you mean you never get tired of it?" He spoke lowly, almost menacingly as he glowered down at her, even though she was unable to see it. The woman wasn't a Force user as far as he could tell, but she must've at least known some in order to be familiar with it, and he'd enter her brain forcefully to get some answers if he had to. Normally he would've just done so, but the fact she wasn't afraid of him, at _all_ it seemed, made him curious to understand how her mind worked, which was something he wouldn't get by simply barging into it.

Ros gave him a knowing look, and just as she opened her mouth to answer him she was interrupted by the all-too-familiar voice of Colonel Kahn, making her peel her cyan gaze from the mask before her to the greying Colonel and red-headed General standing before her. Before she could do or say anything else, she felt the gentle wind from Kylo Ren's cape caress her cheek as he turned on his heel and left without uttering a single word.

" _We'll continue this."_ The thought was shoved forcibly into her brain, causing her to look back in the direction Kylo Ren was walking in and narrowing her eyes in suspicion, pursing her lips in distaste. She shook her head gently as if trying to clear it, a movement not unnoticed by Hux, before turning her body to face her superiors and placing her hands on her hips. "What can I do for you, General? Colonel?" She asked, looking between her direct higher-in-command to his own, noticing Hux's taciturn stare and his hands clasped behind his back, calculating eyes watching her every move.

"I was just telling the General here that you're the only pilot that works on their own ship," The Colonel praised, motioning towards her before glancing at the General next to him.

Ros let out an embarrassed laugh, placing a hand on her neck before using the other to motion to him, "Well, that's probably because I'm the only one who knows how, to be honest. Speaking of," She moved her eyes above her and pointed up, "I fixed up the fork Officer Rhade messed up last Sim, with a little help," She gave the briefest of glances in the direction of the docking bay exit before continuing, "But one of the converter coils got messed up, I'm guessing by the broken piece hitting the underbelly of the ship, there's a big dent in the panel. I put in the order but I might need some _assistance_ getting it here faster than three cycles," She looked back at the Colonel, knowing assistance really meant yelling at the parts technicians to get it here faster once the approval went through.

The Colonel gave her a brief smile before giving a sideways glance to the General, who merely took a few steps forward with his hands still clasped tightly behind his back, surveying the Silencer in silent recognition. Hux began to move around the ship, being acquainted with the schematics of it but having no idea how to pilot it and much less fix it, but all the while making sure none of that showed in his stare. He emerged from the side opposite where Ros was standing and walked towards her, not looking at her but keeping his eyes on the TIE as he made his way around the entire ship. It wasn't until he arrived at the spot nearest Ros that he noticed HBIC written in large, black cursive letters, their shine standing out against the matte black of the ship yet also blending in without much effort; he hadn't noticed them the entire time he'd been watching her work.

"What does that stand for?" He asked quietly, eyes fixed on the lettering without so much as a glance in her direction, his peripheral vision showing him that the Colonel had been called away to another squadron in the docking bay.

"Head Bitch In Charge, of course," She replied, waiting until he swiveled around to face her to give him a smirk she knew would probably aggravate him. She almost didn't notice the corners of his lips tilt into a frown, and she placed a hand on her hip after she closed the distance between them, which was only a few feet, " _Sir._ "

Hux's eye twitched in anger at the female before him who had so easily made a mockery of what he'd demanded of her only a few cycles ago. "And does the Colonel know this is on your ship, Captain?"

Ros' smirk grew as she gave him an uncaring shrug of her shoulders, hand never leaving its nestled spot at her hip, "He either doesn't know, or doesn't care," she replied simply, noticing the brief flicker of frustration in his features before they returned to their usual unfeeling state, "Now if you don't mind, General, I was just about to finish up—"

"Is it true your quarters aren't on the bridge level, with the rest of your crew?" Hux interrupted her, making sure the Colonel and nobody else was within earshot of this conversation.

Ros' expression went from haughty to confused in record time, and she crossed her arms in front of her chest before tilting her head curiously in the same way she'd done to Kylo Ren, her aqua-green eyes never leaving the General's blue ones before her. "Yes…why?"

"It is against regulations for not only a member of the Special Forces, but especially one of such high rank as yourself to have quarters anywhere except on the bridge floor," He replied, breaking their gaze before turning his head to look at the approaching Colonel towards them, "I will send someone to remedy it immediately." And with that, he didn't bother to even look at her as he walked away, pulling out his com mid-stride and typing a message to his Lieutenant before putting it away and meeting up with the Colonel, who began taking him over to the opposite side of the hangar, remembering he only had a few minutes before he'd get back to the bridge.

Ros watched him as he walked away, wondering why he bothered to do such a thing but then remembered his words, _'It's against regulations.'_ She rolled her eyes, half of her wanting to stay in her quarters just to irk him and the other half knowing that this meant her rooms would be bigger, better, and best of all – have their own _bathroom_. She decided to let the latter half win out and she hurried to gather her tools, grabbing the box before setting a hurried pace back to her place – from what she knew of Hux, someone was probably already there and waiting for her.

Sure enough, as she arrived she observed a man not much taller than her knocking on her door, and she jogged over to him while waving her hand in the air, "Hey, looking for me?"

The black-haired male looked at her in blatant confusion before glancing down at his com, then back at her. "C-Captain…Guerran?"

Ros let out a soft laugh at the way he regarded her before opening the door to her quarters using her code, "Yep, that's me. I'm a pilot, in case you were wondering, you're not the first to assume I was a technician today," She continued, stepping into the room as the lights flickered on and she began to gather up her most important belongings, trying to keep the engine grease off of them, "I have a lot of stuff, so this might take me a few trips."

"I can s-send a droid to gather the r-rest of your belongings for you," the man replied, his flustered nerves at encountering such an unexpectedly beautiful woman getting the best of him.

"Oh, that'd be sweet, thanks!" She added, walking back towards him with an armful of tech and parts as well as some holo frames and clothes in her arms, "Who are you, by the way? My name's Ros."

"L-Lieutenant Mitaka," He replied, wanting to offer some help but able to tell that she was more than capable of handling herself, "Please follow m-me."

So she did, up two floors and directly to the room she'd been assigned, noticing how spaced apart the different entrance doors were from each other – these quarters were _definitely_ bigger than her last. She watched the Lieutenant motion for her to put in her usual code into the control panel and did so, eyes widening and jaw dropping when the doors hissed open to reveal a living space that was almost as big as her entire quarters downstairs. She took a few hesitant steps forward, dropping all her things on one of the large, black-leather chairs without peeling her eyes from wandering around her. She barely heard Mitaka telling her a droid would be up with her belongings shortly, mumbling a soft 'thank you' as the doors closed behind her.

These quarters were obviously various pay grades higher, and now she actually felt like she was recognized as a _Captain_. Willing or not to originally join, she'd earned the rank she had and now her efforts were paying off, complete with separate rooms that each housed a bedroom, large and spacious refresher, and kitchenette – everything she'd wanted for a long time. There was even a large holoscreen across the two leather armchairs, complete with caf table and an unstocked bar to her left, which would quickly be remedied as soon as she bought the proper liquor to celebrate her 'promotion.'

"Holy shit…Lei is not gonna believe _this_."


	5. Friends & Enemies

**A/N: Shit gets real in this chapter, but next chapter will have some content I think you'll all really like. :)**

* * *

Chapter 5

It happened a few weeks later. She'd just returned from taking a head-clearing flight in the Silencer after witnessing what Kylo Ren had done on Jakku, unsure what to think of the Commander who had requested her personally as the single Elite backup for his _Upsilon_ -class shuttle as they looked for Lor San Tekka, not that they'd needed her at all – there'd been plenty of other TIEs, regular ones, who'd been assigned to assist. As she docked her ship, she didn't notice the two red-shouldered Stormtroopers approaching it, being too wrapped up in wondering if the Commander had purposefully wanted her to see him slaughter all those civilians, to prove the rumors she'd heard were true. She nimbly made her way out of the top hatch, heading towards the dock's steps and unhooked her helmet from the life support line to take it off, long hair tumbling out the confines of it and down her back.

She'd just reached the last step when she finally noticed the white armor out of the corner of her eye, making her look up as she placed her red-striped helmet under her arm and stopped her movements when she was in front of the two taller troopers, glancing from one to the other. "Can I help you boys?"

"Commander Ren requests your presence, ma'am," Came the curt reply, obviously in no mood to discuss further details that he didn't have.

Aqua eyes looked from one helmet to another briefly as she shelved her apprehension for the time being – these two wouldn't see her sweat. She gave them a shrug and motioned for them to lead the way, ignoring the brief glances in her direction from officers and troopers she didn't know, noticing that she was about to walk past some of her men who'd come to ask her how her mission had gone, obviously curious as to why she'd been personally picked by the illusive Kylo Ren. She smiled at them and gave them a small wave, trying to ease the tension she could see in their faces as she was led away, mouthing a silent _'I'll talk to you guys later'_ before the clicks of her heeled boots echoed out the exit of the hangar and into the adjoining corridor.

She was thankful for the cool recycled air inside _Finalizer_ , since she was still in her full gear, including armor and belt with blaster strapped to her waist. She held her helmet tight under her arm as she was led into an elevator and down to a floor she'd never been before but heard of – the prison ward. For a moment she wondered if she was about to be shoved into one of the cells, but the thought came and went quickly as she realized she wouldn't still have her weapon if that was the case. She could see the red-haired General standing outside the door, facing the approaching three but looking off to the side as if deep in thought, at attention with his hands, as usual, behind his back.

Hux stood outside the door, wondering why Kylo Ren was taking his sweet time getting this information – usually he was in, went into their head, and came out with what he was looking for, but something was off about this time. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion when he heard the soft clicking of heels he'd heard a few times before, and, keeping his face stoic, he turned his head to face the arriving Lieutenant troopers followed by a face that he instantly recognized, the same face that had been plaguing his thoughts at the most inopportune times. His eyes narrowed, unsure what she was doing here and why she had two high-ranking Stormtroopers as her escorts and when his blue eyes met her own, he could tell she was just as confused as he was.

When her two chaperons stopped in front of the door and to the side to let her pass, she chanced a brief look at Hux that told her he also didn't know why she was here. The metal doors of the interrogation chamber opened and she moved her eyes from the General to the Commander a few feet before her, his back facing her as his tall form obstructed everything else from her view. She took a couple steps inside, the door shutting and locking behind her as she tried to figure out what the hell she was doing there, the answer becoming clear when he look a couple of steps aside and revealed the bloodied mess of a person strapped to the metal chair.

 _Poe._

Temporarily losing function of her arms, her helmet dropped and let out a soft 'thud' as it landed on the durasteel floor, completely ignored and abandoned by its owner. Her face fell at his condition and she took a few steps forward, completely forgetting the fact the Force-user was in the same room as them until his distorted voice spoke up.

"Ah, so you _do_ know each other."

Ros's head whipped around so fast her hair flew the same direction before settling again on her back and shoulders. She stared at Kylo Ren with an incensed look that spoke pure ire and venom, matching the tone of her voice and the posture of her body that now stood facing him. "What the fuck did you _do_ to him?"

The soft chuckling was made even more sinister by the modulator as he approached the smaller female, looking down at her as he'd done before in the elevator but this time, a look of betrayal in his eyes that were still shielded by his mask. "He's a prisoner. He had something I want, so I went in and got it. And then imagine my surprise when I found _you_ ," Ren continued, waving a gloved hand in the Resistance male's direction and not missing the look of panic that crossed Poe's features, "You were younger, but I still knew it was you…why didn't you tell me you had a Resistance- _scum_ _friend_?"

Ros held her ground, hands balled into fists at her sides and barely registering the 'forgive me' look Poe gave her as his gaze switched from one being in black to the other. She raised a white-knuckled hand and stuck out a finger to point at the powerfully superior being before her, showing him she wasn't afraid of him, something that would probably cost her, before her other hand reached for her blaster, a move that didn't go unnoticed by Ren. "That's none of your _fucking_ business," she replied curtly, voice unwavering as she spoke and stood up to him, gasping suddenly when the taller male grabbed her raised arm at the wrist and pulled her towards him, just before grabbing the other that she was about to put on his chest to push away. His grip was tight, painfully so, and she simply held her eyes to stare at where she assumed his were, lips planted into a firm line as he held her.

When she still didn't answer him, Ren began the same descent into her mind that he'd done on Poe, except this time finding it much harder to break through, the resistance angering him even further. He pushed her away forcefully and she stumbled back a few steps into the wall, but it wasn't long before he began walking back towards her continuing his barrage of questions and using the Force to rip the blaster out of its holster and toss it aside. "Are you a spy?!" He yelled, placing both his hands against the wall next to her face, and slowly lowering himself so that his mask was directly in front of her, "How can you resist me entering your mind?!"

Ros's lower lip twitched in anger and she put her hands on his chest, trying futilely to push him away from her without moving her aqua-green stare from his to show him she wasn't weak. "Fuck _. You."_

Kylo Ren roared in anger, reaching forward with one gloved hand to grab her neck and the other to grab her arm, tossing her without much effort towards the door and hearing her body hit it with a loud 'crack.' He watched the female with slight incredulity as she gathered herself up seconds after falling on the floor, a trail of blood making it's way down the side of her face from her temple as she stared him down. He began to walk back towards her until the voice of a person he'd completely forgotten was in the room spoke out suddenly, in a plea to his friend.

"Just tell him what he wants to know, Ros! He'll kill you! It's not worth it!" the dark-eyed Resistance pilot screamed, struggling against the chair's restraints in a feeble attempt to help her, yelling in exasperation when they didn't budge. She hadn't changed one bit.

"Shut the fuck up, Poe!" Ros yelled back, her eyes never leaving the form of Kylo Ren until said male stopped in his tracks and looked between her and Poe.

"I'll just get my answers from him, then I'll kill him before your very eyes," Came the ominous reply from Ren, hood still perfectly in place over his mask as he turned on his heel and approached the helpless male, whose eyes widened in palpable fear.

Body still stinging from the blow, Ros ran towards her old friend to aid him, watching the pained expression on his face as Ren held his hand out and continued doing to him what he'd done before Ros arrived. She yelled out a loud "No!" before throwing herself against the lean body of Kylo Ren, using her hands to push away and making him stumble sideways a few steps before he regained his footing.

Enraged, he held out his hand towards her and used the Force to slam her into the wall, watching as her body fell to a crumpled heap on the floor. He barely registered the panicked 'Ros!' coming from Poe as he watched, flummoxed, as the younger pilot began to pull herself to her hands and knees.

Even her armor couldn't abate the brutal attack on her body Ren had just given her, and her mouth tasted the iron substance as she coughed up a bit of blood. She hadn't even registered the lock on the door being overridden as she lifted her gaze to meet her attacker's, a trickle of crimson trailing down the side of her mouth as she glared at him. "You'll have to do better than that, asshole," she growled through clenched teeth, only noticing the fourth person in the room when he spoke.

"Ren! What is the meaning of this?!" Hux yelled, glancing from the female on the floor to the Commander in black, glad that he'd come in when he did. He'd been standing outside the door pacing, barely able to hear what was going on inside until the yelling began, and even then he'd hesitated until he'd heard the second distinctive thump of a body being thrown against a hard surface. Seeing the state the Captain was in, he was glad he'd entered when he did, albeit perhaps a little too late to keep her from extending her injuries.

The Commander looked at the red-haired General with contempt, clenching his gloved fists at the blatant disrespect for the rule of privacy he'd ordered them to keep. He walked towards the exit, passing Hux and barking an "I'm done with the prisoner" to him before disappearing into the hallway and his fading footsteps being heard in the hallway.

"Ros…" Came the soft voice of said prisoner, who looked at his friend with sadness and confusion before asking the question he'd been wondering from the first moment she'd walked into the chamber, "…are you one of them?"

Ros used the wall to help herself stand, ignoring the continuing drops of blood from her forehead as she stumbled her way forward towards him, shaking her head, "No…" she replied quietly, using the chair's restraints to keep herself from falling over as she looked into the eyes of the friend she hadn't seen in many years. Ignoring the fact that the General was standing a few feet away and watching her every move, she wrapped her arms around Poe's frame as best she could to whisper in his ear. "If you ever see my family…tell them I love them, okay?"

Unable to return the hug, Poe merely nodded and chanced a glance at the General who was looking at him with unrestrained fury, a deep frown etched into his lips. Poe waited for Ros to release him before looking into the tear-ridden aquamarine eyes of the young woman whose personality hadn't changed a bit, but my, had she grown.

Ros gave him the best reassuring smile she could before turning and walking towards her helmet, which was not too far from Hux's feet. She'd almost made it when her body stumbled and she fell to her hands and knees, a move unable to be unnoticed by the General.

"Captain, you need medical assistance. I can call some Stormtroopers to assist you to the medical bay."

Ros shook her head in contempt, feebly grabbing her helmet before managing to stand and struggle out of the interrogation chamber, followed by General Hux and the door closing behind him. She pressed her back against one of the empty (besides her and Hux) corridor walls, shutting her eyes briefly and almost passing out from the pain, ignoring the tears that stained her cheeks; she missed her family so much. She opened her eyes to see the General standing before her, looking at her with a look of mixed intrigue and concern – she'd obviously become that much more of an enigma to him.

"I can make it," She whispered, looking at him for the first time with a hint of vulnerability in her eyes, which didn't go unnoticed by taller male whose own eyes, in a rare moment of kindness, softened as he took in the bad shape she was in.

"Let me help you."

The words were almost inaudible, spoken so only she could hear them. She looked at him for a moment, as if trying to decipher some hidden meaning within those words, but being too tired to even do so. She didn't realize the flash of fondness and thanks that showed in her face before she nodded and allowed him to wrap an arm around her waist, letting him lead the way to the closest hallway where a few Stormtroopers would be at their posts, and would come to assist them as soon as they saw them.

* * *

" _Ros! Roselea! Get over here, I have a surprise for you!"_

" _Coming, dad!" Ros dropped the Corellian apple she was peeling onto the small cutting board and looked at her mother, who gave her a nod. "I'll come right back to finish these. Jeyse, can you take over for a minute?" She asked her younger brother, who looked up at her with his own pair of aquamarine eyes before grinning – it wasn't often he was allowed to cook, it was usually just his mother and sister._

 _Ros wiped her hands on her apron before taking it off, hanging it near the door since she expected her father to need her help with something that required engine grease. She stepped outside and stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed her three older brothers surrounding someone her father was standing next to, just before her father noticed her and waved her over. As she began to walk again, her three brothers stepped aside to show her the newcomer, causing her face to switch from suspicion to delight._

" _Holy shit! Poe! It's been so long!" She cried out, running towards the brunette male and giving him a hug, just before he picked her up and swung her around._

" _Hey, kiddo! Look at you, you've grown so much in the past couple of years, Ros," Poe replied, setting her down before looking at her father, "You've done well, Kendrin. She's beautiful."_

" _Just like her mother," The older male replied, giving Poe a grin, "And she's smart, too. I taught her everything I know, and she's a hell of a pilot."_

" _Ahh, so she knows how to fly it_ _ **and**_ _fix it. That's a deadly combination, she'll knock 'em dead!" Poe replied, laughing as he looked at the younger woman before him, five years his junior, "Kerick and Jeyse still using you for Force practice?"_

" _You know it!" Ros replied, giving him a grin, "I can block Jeyse out with no problem, but Kerick can still get through every once in a while when he tries hard enough," She paused, looking at one of her older brothers with a smirk before back at Poe, "I also have 'em beat in hand-to-hand combat! Maybe I can join the Resistance like you in a few years…after I find Leillea first," She was about to say something about the worried look on her father's and Poe's faces but was interrupted by the sound of her mother calling to her from the kitchen window. "Poe, you're staying for dinner, right? I wanna hear_ _ **all**_ _about your missions, and maybe you can give me a tour of that new ship of yours," She smiled, nodding towards the ship he'd arrived in before jogging back towards the front door, giving them a wave as she ran back to help her mother._

 _Poe waited for the rest of Kendrin's children to go inside before looking at him, a somber look on his face. "Does Ros know Leillea is…"_

" _At the Academy? No, I don't think so, but it won't be long before she figures it out. She knows Leillea's family moved to Arkanis, but not why…it worries me that she might try something in a few years."_

 _Poe placed his hand on his chin, rubbing the small bit of stubble as he thought, "She's young and brash, but you and Sianra have taught her well. She can already fly a ship almost as good as me, and she's just sixteen! I think she can take care of herself," He sighed, pressing a comforting hand on the older male's shoulder who'd also taught him almost as much as he'd taught his own children, "But don't worry. If anything happens, you let me know and I'll do my best to find her. I'll use the whole Resistance fleet if I have to," He gave his friend's shoulder a squeeze before the two headed inside, leaving the stress of the conversation behind._

* * *

Ros awoke in the sick bay a few hours later, bolting upright like she'd been stuck with an electric bantha prod, and taking in a deep breath as if she'd been completely deprived of it while she'd been passed out. Her eyes were slightly hazy, and she could hear an alarm going off in the background but couldn't quite figure out what was happening, the sound of the beeping medical machines overloading her brain. As she breathed, she felt her mouth and nose fogging up which caused her to furrow her brows in confusion, and she reached up with her hand to touch her face, only now registering that there was an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose. She pulled it off and over her head before taking in a deep breath of recycled air, noticing some people in medical uniforms scurrying about the ward, and it wasn't until then that she realized the alarm she was hearing was an emergency one, identical to the one that sounded when they were under attack. She cursed under her breath and noticed her com on the table beside her, pulling up various _very_ recent messages from her squad asking her where she was, and telling her about a Stormtrooper defecting and trying to escape with a prisoner. Her eyes widened and she remembered the empty cells while in the prison ward, her mind immediately going to Poe and causing her heart to drop to her stomach. She scrambled to her feet, still unsteady from the medication and the wounds she'd received earlier that day, suddenly feeling a slight breeze before looking down at herself and realizing she was wearing a medical gown.

Her eyes searched her surroundings uneasily just before they settled her helmet sitting in one of the two empty chairs in the room, with her jumpsuit folded neatly underneath and the rest of her gear in the other chair. She looked down at the IV in her arm and took a deep breath before yanking it out, not noticing the small spray of blood she got on the machines from the quick motion and ignoring their protests as her vitals were no longer being delivered constantly to them. She looked around and found a small bacta patch to cover the IV opening with, cleaning it and the blood around it with a sterile alcohol wipe whose sting made her let out a soft hiss. She opened the bacta patch, pressed it onto her skin and then removed the medical gown, thankful to still be in her undergarments as she pulled on her jumpsuit and gear, all in a few seconds from having to do it so many times before. As she finished putting on her boots she grabbed her belt with the blaster once again attached in its holster, shoving her feet into the footwear while simultaneously clipping on the belt and, once finished, grabbing her helmet and walking outside of the room. She began making her way to the exit when a medic stopped her, causing her to place a hand over her blaster suspiciously.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but General Hux has requested that you stay here until you are back to full health," The woman spoke, glancing at Ros' hand on the blaster before looking back at her.

"Oh yeah?" Ros replied, tone icy and deadly as she pulled the blaster out of its holster with a soft 'click,' not aiming it at the medic yet but seeing the woman's eyes widen, "Well you tell the General that I need to check on my men and that I won't just sit here unless I know they're all safe, you got that?" She watched the medic raise her hands in surrender and nod, stepping aside as Ros clicked the blaster back into place and walked past her towards the hangar.

As she arrived, the hangar was in chaos and bodies and pieces of broken equipment lay everywhere. Without dwelling too much on the fallen troopers, she staggered over to the right side where her ship and her team's ships sat in their docks unscathed, by the looks of it. She saw her men and hurried in their direction, every so often limping or wincing at the pain that still plagued her but ignored it, trying to count all nine of her squad members. She counted seven, and her face fell into worry as the other members of her squad saw her and ran towards her.

"Captain!" They all cried out in unison, noticing the state she was in and exchanging glances as the three most senior members of her squad ran to her aid, one of her Sergeants wrapping an arm around her waist to help her stand.

"Damn, Cap, what the hell happened to you?" Officer Hansol asked her, his green eyes standing out against his own olive-colored skin.

"You don't wanna know," Ros replied, giving them a pained smile before her eyes searched the rest of her crew to ensure she hadn't miscounted, "Where are Zorne and Mendes?"

Her Lieutenant noticed the concerned look in her eyes before placing a hand on her shoulder, trying to ease her, "Zorne was hit by a wayward piece of metal that flew off a TIE when everything was going down, but he's okay, it's nothing critical. Mendes is with him, best friends as you know," He smiled at his Captain who seemed relieved, yet something still appeared to be on her mind, "Apparently a Stormtrooper helped a prisoner escape, some Resistance pilot I think. They stole one of Omega's TIEs and took off in it. We were going to go after them but Omega wanted to do it since it was one of theirs, they were able to hit 'em and they think they landed on Jakku."

Ros did her best to hide the concern on her face, although to her crew it was solely about their fellow Alpha member, which was partially true. But now she also worried about Poe's safety, and silently thanked Kriff some Stormtrooper had been able to help him escape, regardless of the consequences that might arise against her now that Kylo Ren knew they were connected somehow. Speaking of consequences…

"Captain Guerran."

The voice made a chill run down her spine, but she kept her face stoic as she turned and faced the scowling face of the General and the chrome Trooper next to him with her blaster ready, Captain Phasma. She gave her Sergeant a squeeze on his arm and a nod and he slowly let her go, making sure she could stand without effort before stepping back and into the line with the rest of his crew. Ros held her helmet tight in her left hand before placing her right on her hip near her blaster, giving Hux a nod before answering. "Yes, General? What can I do for you?" She spoke firm but not in her usual goading tone, after everything that'd happened to her that day she really didn't feel like getting into another fight. She watched his eyes give her a once-over, as if to check her injuries, before he replied to her in his usual cold demeanor.

"We need to speak in my office."

With that said, he turned and began towards the exit, leaving the chrome trooper behind to ensure the Alpha Captain followed him. Ros let out a small sigh before turning to her crew and giving them a smile to ease their concern, "You guys check your TIEs for damage, have the techs take a look if you need help, although they're probably pretty busy already. I'll be back later tonight or tomorrow to check mine, let me know your findings via com, okay?" She heard a chorus of 'yes ma'am' and 'you got it, Cap' before she gave them a small nod and began her walk to the exit, with Captain Phasma close behind. She couldn't help but overhear the worried exchanges of her men not only about her condition, but about what the General could possibly need with her.


	6. Traitorous Feelings

**A/N: Hi guys! I would've posted this a few days ago but I was out of town for my birthday visiting my family, lol. Maybe as a birthday gift y'all can leave me some reviews, hahaha! :P Thanks to Gilyflower for your review (I hope you like this chapter!), and for all those who favorited & followed! Many hugs!**

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Chapter 6

Ros walked along at a slowed pace, holding her side where she wasn't entirely sure one of her ribs wasn't broken. She clenched her jaw tight to keep from showing any pain on her face, her heels clicking on the steel floor as she made it to the elevator that would take her to bridge-level. Phasma followed in after her, and Ros couldn't help but feel as if the trooper was watching her, Ros on one side of the elevator while Phasma faced her on the other. Ros pressed her butt gently against the wide railing, using it for support and crossing her arms before she spoke, left hand still gripping her helmet firmly.

"I know where Hux's office is, I don't need a babysitter," She began, unable to see the frown on the Captain's face under the helmet at the way she spoke about their superior without the formalities.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but General Hux requested I accompany you to his office," Phasma replied cooly, only addressing her as such because the woman was a Captain as well. Her face twisted in confusion at the brunette's sudden change in demeanor, from haughty to surprised.

"Holy fuck, you're a woman?!" Ros spoke up incredulously, letting out a happy laugh, "Sorry, I just don't think I've ever heard you speak. Never had reason to I guess," She shrugged, slightly annoyed that she couldn't see the woman's face and gauge her reactions, "Anyway, I'm glad to know there's another female Captain on the ship, especially one that's in charge of Stormtroopers. Shit isn't easy, I'm sure," She watched the woman square her shoulders proudly, as if the compliment had hit just the right spot like a good meal. Ros quirked the side of her lips into a small smile before looking to the doors once they opened, thankful that Hux's office wasn't too far from where they stood and began her walk, her legs screaming at her to give them a break from the pain, the medication having worn off not too long ago.

She stopped in front of the General's office doors and knocked, looking over her shoulder and giving Phasma a thumbs-up once the door opened. She didn't notice Hux give Phasma a nod before the trooper turned and left, causing Ros to look back at the red-haired General who was standing up in the space between his desk and chair. She took a few steps in and stood next to the chair she'd sat in a few weeks earlier, helmet still grasped tightly in her hand as Hux motioned for her to sit and, for once, she accepted gladly. Her legs felt like they were burning from the walk; she knew she shouldn't have left the sick bay but she didn't expect the medication to wear off as fast as it did; maybe it, too, had to do with her fast metabolism. She didn't bother to ask before setting her helmet down on a corner of his desk, ensuring it wouldn't be in between either of them as she waited, taking slow, pained breaths that didn't go missed by the General.

Hux regarded her with a type of empathy he hadn't felt for anyone else before; he, too, knew what it felt like to be thrown around by someone with Force powers, not that he'd ever admit it. She wasn't the first to feel Kylo Ren's rage and certainly wouldn't be the last, although what exactly she did to stir it was still unanswered, and a good part of the reason why he'd asked her there. He looked over her form once again, this time more closely than he'd had in the hangar, and took in the small cuts on her face, the larger ones he'd seen outside of the interrogation chamber covered with thin bacta patches. He was sure there were more underneath her jumpsuit and armor, and as he absentmindedly ran his eyes down her lithe form, he gave himself time to appreciate the curves that were so heavily outlined by the tight jumpsuit she was required to wear. She didn't seem to notice this as she took a seat in front of him, the pain probably being too much for her to distinguish from anything else, his roaming eyes included. He sat as well and scooted a little closer to his desk, folding his hands in front of him as he'd done the last time she'd been there, and gave himself a few tense seconds as he tried to figure out the exact words he wanted to say to her that wouldn't make him sound as overly concerned as he felt.

"You should be in the med bay," Hux spoke evenly, his eyes never leaving her face as he watched for any subtle and not-so-subtle signs of how she was feeling. He got a set when she exhaled slowly, her face trying to keep its beautiful composure as she reached up and ran a hand through her dark brown locks, wincing slightly from the movement.

"Yeah, well, _fuck_ Kylo Ren," Ros replied simply, aquamarine eyes staring off to the side at a piece of the desk she had no interest in, keeping her gaze from meeting Hux's simply because she didn't want to see any signs of sympathy – he'd seen her in a vulnerable moment which was embarrassing enough, but not only that, he'd actually _helped_ her, which made her feel pathetic, something she definitely wasn't. Although the rational part of her brain told her she wouldn't have made it half the distance without his help, her pride stung and scolded her that she should've tried anyway, anything to keep anyone in the First Order from seeing her like that, and especially the damn General of it of all people. She missed the small smile that briefly graced Hux's lips at her reply before it disappeared, and although she really hoped this conversation wasn't going to go the way she anticipated it to, she knew better than to truly expect that.

"What happened in there?" Came the soft reply, causing Ros to finally lift her gaze from the least interesting spot on the desk she'd chosen to stare at and back to meet Hux's blue eyes, sighing.

"Why don't you ask him?" She replied, unwittingly sounding more angry than she meant to. She watched the concern shatter from his eyes and from those shards rose a mix of ire and aloofness, her cyan orbs unable to miss the tightening of his jaw and interlaced fingers. She took that brief moment to take in his features – the perfectly combed hair, the clean shaven face, the slight bags beneath his eyes from lack of proper sleep, and the hardened lines of his jaw, the same one she'd run her finger across not too long ago. She remembered the mix of fresh-shaven smoothness and stubble beginning to grow, and her eyes roamed to the lips that were currently set in a thin line, suppressing the impulse to reach out and run her thumb across them to feel their softness. She had gotten so lost in her thoughts that she almost didn't hear him speak, the words suddenly tumbling into her ears and up to her brain like a shockwave that woke her up from her wide-eyed slumber.

"You know why. Now answer me, _Captain_ ," Hux replied, his voice showing he was in no mood for her usual games. He'd been watching her eyes roam over his face and he'd been curious to her thoughts, for once wishing he had Kylo Ren's mind-reading ability so he could see what she was thinking. He could tell she'd gotten so wrapped up in them not only from watching her but from the length of time it took her to answer him, her voice coming out so soft he almost had trouble hearing her.

"He threw me against the door…and the wall," Ros replied, her eyes lifting from his mouth back to meet his own. She couldn't help but notice the flash of concern and horror that flew across those cerulean orbs before they, too, dissipated into his usual cloud of aloofness.

"And why did he do that?" Hux responded, trying to understand Ren's thinking process though he knew for a fact there was no method to his madness. He didn't, however, expect to hear the words she spoke next.

"I dunno, I guess he thought I was a spy or something?" Ros replied, lifting a throbbing arm to move a strand of hair out of her line of vision. She saw the look on Hux's face that reeked of _'Are you?'_ before rolling her eyes, knowing he'd find out eventually. "He said he saw me in Poe's memories while digging through his mind for whatever the hell he was looking for," Ros shrugged, ignoring the sting in her shoulders from the unnecessary movement.

Hux's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at her, trying to come up with any alternatives to Ren's theory yet silently hoping none of them were true. His stomach churned at the way she spoke so casually of a Force-user 'digging through someone's mind' and stared at her, his next question obvious though she didn't seem willing to offer up the answer. "And how _do_ you know Poe Dameron?"

Ros's face fell into a frown and she turned her face away, looking towards the wall opposite the entrance to his office, "I'm going to give you the same answer I gave him, but nicer. It's _none_ of your _business_."

Hux could feel himself getting angrier by the second, which allowed him to realize that if she'd just given him the 'nice' version, he wasn't too surprised that Ren would've had a childish outburst of a reaction when she didn't give him what he wanted. He always acted like a petulant child, even more so when he was denied what he was after, and the female in front of him was the embodiment of strengthened defiance. He knew what he had to ask her next, although he was afraid of what he'd have to do if the answer was in the affirmative. "Did you help them escape?"

Ros's eyes peeled themselves from the wall back to Hux's, and she noticed the look of apprehension in his face, as if he was not looking forward to the answer. She gave a soft sigh and leaned forward, placing her elbow on the desk and her cheek in her hand for support, her other arm resting limply on the desk's surface. " _No_ , I couldn't have. I was in the med bay, remember?" She spoke boredly, noting the flash of relief that swept over his features briefly like a gentle wave, "I was out for hours, I don't know how long. As soon as I woke up I saw the messages in my com from my crew, so I yanked the IV out, got changed, and left."

Hux allowed a frown to mold his lips as he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he regarded her with disapproval, "The medical team was under strict orders to keep you in the sick bay until you fully recovered," He spoke, as if trying to figure out how she'd snuck past them, "Imagine my surprise when I saw you in the hangar shortly after FN-2187 defected with the Resistance pilot in tow."

Ros gave him a smile, a soft chuckle from deep in her chest escaping her lips just before wincing slightly at the pain it caused her, "Well…they didn't exactly _let_ me go. I kind of threatened one of them with my blaster and told them to step aside, so don't blame them for that. She tried to follow your orders," She added, her gaze lowering to the desk as her thoughts wandered, not realizing she was speaking aloud, "Poe's always been good at flying pretty much anything…"

Hux looked at her, the same pang of jealousy rearing its ugly head as when he'd seen her hug said Resistance pilot. "You told him to tell your family something if he ever saw them again," he spoke up, breaking her out of her thoughts and watching as her eyes widened in surprise.

"Damn, you heard that? You weren't supposed to be eavesdropping," she joked, her usually rebellious features softening to show she was remembering fond memories as she looked back to the desk when she began to speak, "Poe met my father, and through him he met the rest of my family. They met a long time ago, when I was in my very early teens. He'd stop by when he was on or near Talus, and usually spend a night or two at our house to get a meal and some decent sleep," She spoke quietly, a small smile on her face, "I always looked up to him because he was such a good pilot. I actually thought I was going to join the Resistance when I was old enough, but I was determined to find Lei which landed me here. I was young and stupid, I couldn't have been more than 16 or 17 when I last saw Poe," she added, tucking the usual strand of hair behind her ear absent-mindedly as she spoke.

"Were you in love with him?"

The firm, unexpected question jolted her out of her reminiscing stupor and she balked, eyes widening as she allowed herself to lock gazes with the General. She couldn't discern the feelings in his eyes but she was almost certain one of them was jealousy, although she couldn't imagine why. "What?! Are you serious?"

"Answer the question, Captain," He was back to cold indifference, all business as he waited impatiently for her answer.

Ros's mouth fell into a scowl and she set her hand down, pressing both of them against the top of the desk to keep her grounded, "No! And even if I was, that'd be none of your business, either!" She began, ready to tear him a new one, "For your information, _General_ , outside of my family, I don't _love_. I don't fall in love, I don't make love, I don't _love_ , you got that? Especially not anyone on or near this Kriff-forsaken ship," She paused, curling her hands into fists atop the desk, "And before you try and be a smartass, Lei and Poe _are_ family to me. So excuse me for not giving a shit when my _family_ escaped what I couldn't – years and years of fucking torture," She stood up suddenly to leave, chair scraping loudly against the floor as she did so. She'd forgotten all about her weakened physical state, and it soon came agonizingly crashing back to remind her of reality when she felt her numbed legs begin to fail her, bracing herself for what would probably be a _very_ excruciating refresher course of just how hard the floor was.

Or it at least would've been, had she ever actually reached it. She hadn't registered the man who'd just been sitting across her move with seemingly inhuman speed towards her, catching her in his arms just before she made a painful new acquaintance of his office floor beneath her feet. Her breath caught in her throat at the sudden intrusion of personal space she hadn't expected, and her legs trembled slightly beneath her as she looked up at him, her hands reflexively wrapped around the collar of his uniform coat (his greatcoat having been shrugged off and hung up ages ago before she even stepped through the door) with his arms around her waist to help her steady herself. Cyan met sapphire as they stood that way for a few seconds, neither of them knowing what to do or how to untangle themselves from the other, and she felt time slow to a standstill as she briefly took in his features again, this time much further up close. She could smell the strong male musk of his cologne teasing her nostrils, fogging up her mind of any rational thought or action as she merely stood there, noticing the few wisps of red hair that fell out of his perfectly coiffed hair at his swift movements. She could almost hear his internal battle as he gulped slowly, allowing her to witness a rare moment of vulnerability and indecision on his face as his jaw tightened again, giving her the urge to caress it once more.

Hux stared at the woman in his arms nervously, hoping it wasn't painfully evident as he watched her own eyes glaze over with an aching mix of confusion and desire. He saw the way her cheeks flushed at his close proximity and it made him wonder if she was as interested in him as he was in her, the fleeting thought giving way to more inquisitive ones as his eyes wandered to take in her state. Her eyes were wide with surprise, yet held no disgust or disappointment in them, instead regarding him with a sort of curious wonder. He could feel the warmth of her body pressed up against his, and the way her hair framed her face brought out the wonderfully caramel hue of her olive skin, leading his eyes to land on her plump, slightly parted pink lips that showed her surprise. He met her eyes as if seeking approval and, upon seeing no resistance he began to lower his lips to hers as he closed his eyes, throwing caution and all First Order rules and regulations temporarily out the window, a large wave of pent-up attraction and what he could best describe as electricity running down his body from temple to toe.

Ros couldn't help but feel the exact same thing, although she was completely unaware that the taller male in front of her was also feeling this way. She closed her eyes and allowed her body to guide her, remembering the motions that she hadn't used in over a decade as her hands released their grip on his collar and trailed their way to be behind his neck, one of them gently tracing upwards to have a taste of what it felt to have the short of his hair between her fingers. She allowed the kiss to deepen, gently parting her lips to allow him room to explore further as his tongue traced their outline, causing a shiver to go down her spine and a soft whimper to escape her.

Hux pulled her closer to him, the heat of their bodies mingling as he kept one arm around her waist and the other lifted to cradle the back of her head, feeling the soft caress of her locks as she gave him permission to move further. His tongue fought with hers for dominance as the two type-A's allowed themselves to get lost in each other, lost in the moment that would solely be theirs. He broke the kiss only to trail his lips across her jaw and to her neck, making a gentle trace with his tongue and feeling her tremble and let out a soft moan at his touch, allowing himself to smirk against her skin. This was what he'd been waiting for, what he'd frustratingly wanted for so long and had found himself craving more of her every night before this moment even happened. Now that he'd had a sample of what was to come, he wanted more, but he knew he wasn't done tasting the sweet of her lips and pressed his own against hers passionately, with no trace of hesitancy or confusion since the knowledge that the feelings were mutual had become a silent commonplace between them.

Ros felt herself getting lost in the wordless exchange, her body telling her that this was right with every kiss, touch, and tease he placed upon her. She knew she was getting close to the point of no return when something in the deep crevices of her mind began to nag at her, even whilst her body enjoyed everything the dominant male was doing to her.

" _Don't,"_ She heard the voice of her younger self calling out somewhere in the back of her mind, _"Don't do this. Don't get involved,"_ it continued, the fog in her mind slowly clearing as her body was still a slave to her emotions and carnal desires, _"Don't give in to him. Don't fall for him. You know where this will lead…don't let yourself fall in_ _ **love**_ _,"_ At that last word she stiffened, not yet noticed by the male until her eyes snapped open and she stepped back, pulling herself away and out of the warmth of the embrace she'd been silently and torturously longing for since they met, even as she denied it to herself daily since those weeks ago. Her chest heaved up and down rapidly as she took deep breaths, her eyes struggling to adjust to the light in the room after being shut tight for all those moments previous and the arm of the chair behind her not allowing her to make any more distance between herself and Hux. When they settled on him she saw the confusion in his face and, if she was seeing correctly (which she couldn't be sure of), the hurt in his eyes at having what he'd wanted for so long suddenly and excruciatingly ripped away from him. She'd never seen such emotion in his face, even when he'd offered to help her hours ago he'd still been the same cold and aloof General, but now the look he gave her only caused her to yearn his touch more, his lips more, to simply forget what she'd just thought of and fall back into the embrace of the man she'd silently (sometimes self-beratingly so) admired. Even though she enjoyed getting under his skin and seeing his reactions, she'd never admitted to anyone, not even her best friend what she really thought of him – that he was smart, determined, respected, and to be the General that he was, he had to be all those things plus many more she didn't dare admit to herself. Tense seconds passed like hours as her eyes unwittingly showed her apology even though she was trying to be strong, to show him that she didn't want him although she herself knew it wasn't true, and most likely he did too.

"I-I can't, I can't do this," She whispered, watching as his eyes searched hers for some sort of explanation and she gave the first that came to her mind, even though she knew it was complete and utter bullshit, "You're…you're my superior," She offered, knowing he would see through her lies as easily as if she were transparent, especially when she'd made such a point to show him she didn't give a damn about the rules, rules she'd purposefully broken many times. She didn't wait for his reply, knowing it would most likely be what she'd probably point out if she were in his position, and she knew that if he called her out and asserted himself she'd never leave that office, at least not with her outfit looking exactly the same way it came in – taking it off and then putting it back on seemed to have that effect. Without another word she stepped around him and toward the door, her hair fluttering behind her as she passed him and left a trail of her Farrberry-scented shampoo in her wake, the door opening as she approached it and didn't chance a look back, for fear that she'd never go if she did.

Her heels made a hurried race to her quarters which were located on the same floor as not only the bridge, but Hux's office and his own rooms as well. As she reached them, the doors opened immediately upon recognizing her and she stumbled in, what had remained of the adrenaline from her recent encounter completely gone from her system. The doors hissed shut behind her and she pressed her back against them, sliding down slowly and painfully as her body remembered the wounds it'd received and swiftly reminded her of them as well, causing her to wince in pain once her bottom touched the floor. Her knees were close to her chest as she let her head lean back to rest against the door, trembling hands reaching up to cover her face except for her eyes, which stood staring at the ceiling in despair. _"I should've stopped it,"_ She scolded herself, her eyes watering as if suddenly remembering how to produce tears after years of not doing so, _"I shouldn't have let him get that close. I shouldn't have let it get that far. I'm such. A_ _ **fucking**_ _. Idiot!"_ She held back the urge to scream and chose instead to let her arms lay limply back at her sides, except it seemed one of them didn't want to cooperate as instead of doing so, her fingers began tracing her lips where Hux's own had been moments earlier. When she realized what she was doing, she growled at herself and placed that arm down like her other one, absent-mindedly licking her lips and suddenly tasting Hux all over again.

" _Fuck, how am I going to get out of this?"_ She thought, closing her eyes and trying to calm the tachycardia of her heart, _"Oh, I know, I just need to avoid him for, hmm, the rest of my career?"_ She thought sarcastically, the hopelessness of the situation beginning to truly dawn on her as she bit her lip, trying to think of a way out.

Back at his office, Hux stood in the same place as she'd left him a second previous, the sound of the doors closing behind him jarring him out of his stupor. Feelings of betrayal, disappointment, and wounded pride swirled throughout his body, causing him to lift his left hand and place it over his mouth, using the right hand to support himself against the desk. He closed his eyes in contemplation, but soon realized his error when his fingers traced his lips (completely unaware that she was doing the same in a different room a few steps away) and he remembered the feel of her own pressed tightly against his, fighting for dominance in an erotic dance he'd never quite experienced before. Sure he'd had sex, but even that had been all business with no kissing or caressing involved, simply straight and to the point, each person seeking their own satisfaction instead of the others'. He remembered the way she'd trembled at his touch, and the soft whimpers and moans she'd elicited from him solely giving her a taste of what he wanted to offer her. He remembered the heat of their bodies pressed tightly together, the warmth even passing through their uniforms unique to their designation on _Finalizer_ , and the way her soft tresses felt against the skin of his hands, how they would feel when he pulled gently on them to reveal more of her neck to him so he could mark what was his.

At the reminder of one of his fantasies his eyes snapped open and he scowled, his right hand curling up into a fist and crushing the paper underneath it. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed her helmet, still sitting in the same spot she'd left it and next to it was the glass she'd played with the last time she'd been in his office. At this his anger flared and he suddenly grabbed said glass, throwing it against the wall opposite him and watching it shatter into tiny pieces that littered the floor of his office, feeling some of the pent-up stress leave him but quickly being replaced by disappointment in himself. That is what _Kylo Ren_ did, not Armitage Hux, great General of the First Order. He didn't throw fits or break inanimate (and sometimes animate) objects when he didn't get his way, despite how good it had just felt.

With this on his mind he straightened up, turned, squared his shoulders back to their usual regal manner, and took a step back to look at the double red-striped helmet staring back at him. He clasped his hands behind his back and thought of his options – he could destroy it (although his recent act allowed him to recall why he wouldn't, not to mention the outrageous cost of those helmets, especially for the Elite), give it back (though that didn't seem like a good idea either, since he wasn't sure if he wanted to see her ever again, or…at least, anytime soon), or send someone to give it back to her. He wanted the least amount of questions and rumors possible, after all, he himself would wonder what would cause the fearless Captain to be so forgetful as to leave her helmet behind, especially considering she hadn't done so even after the ass-chewing she'd given one of her men. He could send one of his bridge crew to do it, Mitaka was probably the best man for the job as he wouldn't ask any questions and had interacted in a professional manner with her before, unlike Opan. The thought of Opan kissing the Captain's hand reentered his mind and he growled, the sooner he got rid of this physical reminder of her the better.

He used his com to call Mitaka to his office, and the shorter male arrived within seconds of being requested. Hux sat at his desk, his chair reclaimed as he didn't even bother to give the man so much as a glance before waving his hand towards the helmet, datapad in his other hand. "Lieutenant, please take this to Captain Guerran, she seems to have forgotten it when she left," Hux spoke up, hand back to scrolling through reports but paused when the Lieutenant didn't move, seemingly needing to ask something but not sure if he wanted to, "What is it, Lieutenant?"

"Do you…know where she is, sir?"

Hux gave a half-hearted shrug, still not looking up at his subordinate and completely missing the glance at the far wall the dark-haired male did quickly, obviously noticing the broken glass, "Try her quarters first, perhaps. Or the hangar where Alpha squadron's ships are docked," He paused, trying to decide on whether or not to utter his next statement but choosing to solely for the fact that Mitaka was good at discretion, "And get a sanitation droid in here when you're done."

Mitaka nodded at the General before uttering a 'yes, sir' and making a hasty exit, stopping to try and remember where said beautiful Captain's quarters were. It'd been a few weeks since he'd last seen her, and even then his mind had gotten jostled when he realized the power and femininity of the woman whose quarters he'd been tasked to show her to. He barely registered the 'Hey, Lieutenant!' coming from his right until his blue-eyed comrade stepped in front of him, a smile on her pretty face.

"Is that…Ros—I mean, Captain Guerran's helmet?" Leillea questioned, eyebrow raised as the male in front of her broke out of his trance and gave her a nod.

"Yes, General Hux tasked me to give it back to her," Mitaka replied, looking down at the serious-looking red stripes before back at the Sergeant.

"Oh. Well, I can give it back to her, if you want. I was on my way to see her anyway," She replied, a smile on her face as she put her hands out and received the helmet, "I'll let her know you were the one who was supposed to give it to her so you don't get in trouble or anything," She grinned, watching him nod before she began to walk away – Mitaka was always a man of few words.

The Lieutenant glanced behind him, hoping Hux hadn't heard the conversation before pulling out his com and requesting the droid the General had asked for. He shrugged off the confusion of the shattered glass in Hux's office, guessing that it was most likely the Captain who'd done it after having stormed off and left her helmet behind, the most likely explanation considering the General's usual calm demeanor he'd just seen seconds earlier.


	7. Missing in Action

Chapter 7

Ros heard the soft knocking on her door, causing her to flinch slightly and her mind to drift immediately to the confrontation she'd just had with Hux. As her thoughts teetered on answering and not, she finally heaved a sigh and called out softly, almost hoping whoever was on the other side wouldn't hear her. "Who is it?"

"Ros? It's Lei, duh, who else would it be?"

She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, scolding herself for simultaneously hoping and worrying it'd be the General. She smiled at her friend's haughtiness and pulled out her com to open the door, too fatigued and in too much pain to get up to use the control panel. She instantly regretted it when the doors swooshed open and the sturdy metal that had been holding her upright disappeared, causing her to fall and smack her back against the cold steel floor, with her head soon following. She let out a loud curse that echoed in the hallway, and she wiped a tear from her eye as she looked up to see her best friend's figure looming over her, eyebrow raised in concern.

"You alright there, Ros?" Leillea asked, staring at her friend's almost-limp form before stepping around her and putting the helmet on the nearby caf table, just before helping Ros up to sit and then to her feet. She watched the older of the two struggle her way to the leather chair before plopping down in it, wincing in pain. "Tanner told me you were in bad shape when he saw you, but I didn't think it was _this_ bad," Her friend remarked, hearing the doors close behind her as she took the seat next to her, "What happened to you?"

"Stevens told you?" Ros let out a soft laugh, reaching up to scratch the back of her head before wincing again and looking up when her friend stood up suddenly, "What?"

"That's it, Ros. I'm taking you to the sick bay, like it or not. Come on, you can tell me what happened on the way," The blonde spoke, reaching a hand out for her friend to take before helping her up.

"Ugh, can't you just go and get some pain meds for me instead?"

"Yeah, because the First Order will let me break one of many cardinal rules and take someone else's medication, right?"

Ros sighed, feeling her friend's arm wrap around her waist in a similar fashion she'd done herself weeks ago to help Leillea's drunken self home, "Fuck this place. And their rules," She mumbled angrily, allowing her friend to carry some of her weight as the brunette tried not to limp in her high-heeled boots.

"Seriously, what the hell happened to you?" Lei spoke up softly, never having seen Ros in this bad a shape.

"Kylo Ren happened to me," Ros replied through gritted teeth as they approached Hux's office near the elevator, "You heard of the Resistance pilot they captured earlier, right?" she felt, not so much saw, her friend nod, even turning her head to look was getting painful, "Yeah, well, it was Poe."

Lei froze in her tracks, not yet realizing they were directly in front of Hux's office doors, "Kriff," She whispered, her voice raising in anger as she put the pieces together, "He hurt you because you knew _Poe_? That's it?!" Lei shook her head, she didn't know the Resistance pilot much but she'd met him shortly before leaving for Arkanis.

"Yeah…I also sort of told him to fuck off when he asked me a few questions, which he _really_ didn't like. Threw me against the door…and the wall…" She paused, looking out in front of her as if remembering in itself was painful, "I swear, Lei, sometimes I wish I had my brothers' force powers, I would've put that bastard in his place."

Leillea sighed, beginning her walk again and helping her struggling friend, "Ros, of all people you choose to stand up to Kylo Ren," She muttered, making it to the elevator and beginning their descent to the med bay, "He could've killed you. He _would've_ killed you…" her words trailed off, realization hitting her like durasteel, "Wait, why didn't he?!"

"Gee, thanks for the faith," Ros replied sarcastically, pressing her back against the elevator wall and glancing up at the ceiling, trying to ignore the blush creeping onto her face, "Hux came in. Well, _barged_ in, is more like it. I guess Mr. Douche didn't like that 'cause he left without saying another word to me."

Lei looked at her friend's pensive face, noticing her flushed cheeks but choosing to file it away as a conversation for later, "Speaking of, Mitaka was supposed to be giving you that helmet, in case anyone asks. General Hux tasked him with giving it back to you, I just happened to walk by when he came out of his office."

Ros let out a soft chuckle, stepping out of the elevator and walking the few feet to the med bay nearby. She couldn't blame Hux for getting it out of his sight as soon as possible, he probably figured the least amount of reminders of her he had, the better. As they stepped inside, the nurse from earlier walked up to Ros and crossed her arms, causing the brunette to give her a lopsided smile. "Heeeeyyyy…"

The nurse shook her head disapprovingly, letting out a sigh, "I knew you'd be back. We had a requisition to place you in a bacta bath as soon as you woke, but since you _left_ , we didn't get to do that. Now come on, follow me."

"Wait!" Ros called out, causing the nurse to turn and look at her with a frown, "One of my men is here. Officer Desric Zorne – a pilot. Tall, short black hair, deep-colored skin? You know who I'm talking about?"

The nurse nodded, seemingly surprised that the Captain would even care enough to ask about one of her men, much less care about his well being before her own. "Yes, he's a few rooms down. Were you wanting to see him?" She asked, beginning her walk towards where the bacta room was, fully expecting her to say no.

"YES," Ros called out, hobbling after her with Lei on her trail, "Please. I'd like to see him before I go in. Where is he?"

The nurse stopped and looked at her incredulously before continuing her walk – thankfully, the room the Officer was in was on the way to where they needed to go anyway. "Yes, he's right in here," She uttered when they reached the room, opening the door for the Captain and allowing her to step in.

Ros gave her a thankful smile before stepping past the door and inside, her smile widening when she saw her two officers, the one she was worried about sitting up and talking to the other. The two men made to stand up but she waved at them not to bother, ignoring the pain as she approached the med bay bed. "Holy fuck, Zorne," Ros replied, trying not to wince as she gave her fellow pilot a gentle hug, "I'm glad you're okay. I'm sorry I wasn't there when it happened, I could've done something…"

The darker-skinned male shook his head, laughing, "What could you have done, Cap? If it wasn't me it probably would've been someone else," He continued, suddenly realizing the poor shape she was in and exchanging a look with Officer Aran Mendes before looking back at her.

"Cap, what happened to you?" Mendes asked, noticing the way she held herself wasn't her usual confident stride.

"Uhhh, you don't wanna know," She replied with a tight smile, just before looking back at the pilot in the bed, "Now you rest and get better. I'm about to get a soak or something, but you'll probably be out before this rotation is over, from what it looks like," She gave his wound a brief once-over before gently slapping his arm, eliciting a laugh from the two male pilots, " _Boy…_ you gave me a good scare!" She jokingly chastised, shaking her head before turning and walking towards the door, waving a hand in the air when she heard the words _'See ya, Cap'_ from the two men behind her.

* * *

Ros stood amongst the crowds of white and black, fit in her full pilot's gear with helmet on and attached. Her own squadron and Omega squadron stood side by side, in four sets of five with the most senior members towards the front (her and her Lieutenant), each followed by her two Sergeants, and then the remaining squad members behind them. As they all stood waiting for what was to become one of the most damning speeches in galactic history, she watched as the General stood proudly before all of his troops, hands clasped behind his back and in his full dress uniform. Ros hadn't ever seen him with that hat or special occasion uniform on, and she silently scolded herself for thinking she liked him in it and probably would out of it, too. She let out a frustrated sigh; they'd been on Starkiller base for a couple of days now in preparation for this ceremony, and it hadn't taken her that long to realize she hated the cold weather of the planet – her home world of Talus was much milder, and much, more temperate. If she closed her eyes long enough she could feel the breath of the warm air on her skin, or the kiss of the wet breeze when her family visited one of the many seas. The thought brought a sad smile to her lips, remembering the laughter of her brothers as they splashed each other with water or the sound of her mother's voice calling them inside for dinner in their quaint home, amidst grass and trees and the local fauna that lived off the earth and oxygen. She could feel someone's eyes boring holes into her from a distance, and she was brought out of her reminiscing by the voice that had been haunting her since their first fateful encounter weeks ago.

She opened her eyes suddenly as he began his speech, his voice booming through the amphitheater to reach the masses below him, never once taking her eyes off his regal form. She'd heard of Starkiller, the rumors of what it could do and the destruction it could unleash only sounding like myths to her unwilling ears. She didn't want to believe them, the silent hope that such a weapon wouldn't be unleashed on an unsuspecting planet flickering inside of her, although she knew there was nothing she could've done to stop it. She'd heard that it was the brainchild of General Hux, the same General Hux who'd not even a week earlier held her in his arms and kissed her with as much passion as she was sure this weapon could unleash. She didn't want it to be true, but as she watched him spewing his anti-Republic rhetoric to the willing ears of the people around her, the way he held himself and how strongly he seemed to believe his own words told her everything she needed to know: _it really was true_.

As the last of the words left his mouth and everyone around her raised their fists in support, she simply stood with her arms at her sides, looking up at the man she silently respected; or rather, _had_ respected. She felt her body stiffen when his gaze moved from sweeping the troops around him to settle on her – her squadron was to his right at the very front, with her nearest to him in the front corner. She could tell he knew that was her because, as his weapon fired, his cold blue eyes never left hers even though she knew he couldn't see them underneath her helmet. She felt the rumble beneath her feet and the warmth of the planet harnessing its energy from a nearby sun before it shot out into the sky, causing her breath to catch in her throat as she almost heard the destruction behind her – it hadn't been just one planet, but _five_. Her eyes widened with the realization of the multitudes of lives lost; she'd been preparing to mourn for hundreds of thousands, and in a split second it had become millions, although more likely billions.

Her eyes began to water and she forcibly blinked them away, not wanting anyone to see what she'd been feeling after she took off her helmet in a short while. His eyes had remained trained on her form the entire time and while she expected him to turn and walk away now that the deed was done, she didn't expect him to smirk at her, as if knowing exactly what she'd been thinking the entire time. After giving her a once-over with his calloused eyes and allowing the leer only intended for her to fade, she watched him turn on his heel and began his walk back into the depths of Starkiller base, leaving the remaining troops to begin their march back inside and to their respective posts and quarters. She stood in place for a few more moments until she felt a hand on her shoulder, causing her head to turn and look up at her black-clad reflection in her Lieutenant's helmet.

"You okay, Cap?" The male spoke, watching his superior's helmet nod in response before she spoke, her voice somewhat distorted through the internal modulator, albeit not even nearly as much as Kylo Ren's.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go, we could all use some rest," She replied, leading her squadron's way inside before removing her helmet, glancing over her shoulder at her crew, "Some non-Elites are storming Takodana right now. I don't expect them to need us, but keep an eye on your com in case they do," She spoke authoritatively, earning a chorus of _'Ten-four'_ and _'Yes, ma'am'_ s in response before she continued further inside and towards her (still) bridge-level quarters inside the base, holding her helmet tightly in her hand. She entered the elevator that would take her up a few levels, thankful that it was empty as she slowly crouched, back against the elevator wall and set her helmet down beside her, resting her forehead on the palms of her hands and closing her eyes. The destruction had been deafening without sound and excruciating without pain, but even still, she'd heard and felt it all. She took in a few short breaths, trying to calm herself and shutting her eyes tight so she wouldn't cry; not here, not where anyone else could see her. They all cheered noiselessly at the end of Hux's speech, most of them unaware that their families could be on one of those planets or if they were, they didn't care – pretty much all of them have been raised since birth in the First Order, knowing no family but it and their comrades and while she could understand that, she couldn't ever possibly understand so much senseless destruction. There was no honor in this, no glory in taking the lives of innocent people whose sole misfortune had been to be at the wrong place at the wrong time; she could only hope none of her family members had been on the Hosnian system, and she was almost certain she would've somehow known if they had been but it'd been far too long since she'd seen or spoke to them, their connection wasn't as strong as it once was.

She heard the elevator doors open and she sighed, slowly removing herself from her crouched position before standing fully upright, her eyes glued to the floor in contemplation. She reached down and was about to grab her helmet when the sound of soft footsteps echoed inside the metal walls and she heard the distinct sound of a code being put in before the doors shut closed and the lights flickered briefly as the recording equipment shut down temporarily. She left her helmet on the floor and slowly rose to meet the person who'd locked them in there together for the time being – none other than General Hux himself. Her eyes narrowed at him and she had half a thought to wipe the same smirk off his face he had now that she'd seen earlier, choosing instead to place her hands on her hips and stare him down instead. "What do you want?"

Hux's smirk grew wider as he looked her over, remembering the position she'd just been in before he stepped in as he took a few steps forward, closing the distance between them. "I saw you earlier, Captain Guerran. Why didn't you show your support like the rest of the fleet?" He asked condescendingly, keeping his eyes trained on the beautiful features of her face as he struggled to keep himself from touching her, disappointment be damned.

"Because I wasn't about to show _support_ for the mass genocide of so many innocent people for your selfish pride and gain, _General Hux_ ," She retorted, watching the wave of anger flood his features as she spoke, all signs of mirth in his face gone.

"Not for _my_ pride and gain, Captain Guerran, but for the First Order," He replied curtly, voice laced with venom as he took another step forward, bodies mere inches from each other as the realization hit him that she'd for once used his full title, and with so much disdain, no less.

"Don't give me that bullshit, Hux, I know this was all your idea. That speech, that weapon, probably even where to fucking aim it," Ros replied, pressing her index finger into his otherwise pristine dress uniform – he was still even wearing the damn hat, which didn't help lessen her attraction to him.

Hux felt his anger boil over, impulses acting of their own accord as he grabbed her right wrist in his left hand, using her sudden surprise to do the same to her other one. He pinned her hands next to her head against the back of the elevator, not loosening his grip as he kept her in place between the steel and his body. He looked down at her, her aquamarine eyes full of rage as he lowered his face closer to hers, speaking lowly, "Tell me, _Captain_ …what is the real reason you left the other day?" He began, watching her face switch from anger to apprehension in a split second as he continued, "I know what you said isn't true. Because if it was," He continued, slowly moving his mouth to be near her ear, getting a whiff of the scent of the shampoo he'd been trying to get a bottle of to remember what she smelled like, "Then you wouldn't be letting me near you right now. You wouldn't be letting me do this," he whispered, slowly moving his lips to her neck and feeling the tightness in her body dissipate into a sense of relaxed gratification. He began to trail tender kisses on her skin, most of him holding back from being more forceful due to a sincere form of pleasure of seeing her resolve falter at his touch, giving him a sense of control over her that he knew he'd never had before.

Ros swallowed hard, closing her eyes tight as her body betrayed her mind and felt herself slowly surrendering. She knew he was enjoying this, not just the physical but the emotional grip he currently had on her in a very rare moment of weakness. Opening her eyes, she tried to ignore the feeling of her soft body pressed against his hard one as she spoke.

"Stop. Let go of me."

Hux paused what he was doing to move his face to be before hers, the space between them intimate as he kept her and her wrists pinned against the wall, not uttering a word but the arrogant smile on his face speaking volumes as he looked at her.

Ros's aquamarine eyes met his deep blue ones, locks of chocolate framing her face as the artificial light in the elevator gave her an almost angelic glow. All pleasure in her face had switched to despondent sadness to match the sorrow in her eyes. "I won't do this," She whispered, tears brimming her eyes but refusing to fall, making them sparkle as if she was underneath moonlight, "I don't want to feel anything for you, Hux. I can't allow myself to fall in love with a fucking _monster_ ," She uttered, accenting the last word as the smile fell from his lips and he released his hold on her arms, almost as if in shock. She took this as her opportunity to leave, turning her face away from him so she wouldn't see his facial features contort into dejected disbelief, gently pushing him aside before grabbing her helmet and putting in the code she somehow remembered from last time which, to her surprise, he hadn't yet changed.

As the doors slipped open to reveal the bridge level, she brought her free hand to her face to cover the stifled whimpers that threatened to turn into sobs. _"Why am I feeling this way? What is wrong with me?"_ She scolded herself, reaching her room in a few long strides as the doors opened automatically, her hand reaching up absent-mindedly to wipe away a trail of tears that had flown so easily down her cheeks. Without another glance back to where she'd just been, she entered her room and set the helmet down on the nearby caf table, letting out a long sigh as she plopped down into the (also) leather chair and ran her fingers through her hair, trying to figure out as many ways that she could avoid him as possible.

Hux stood dumbstruck in the elevator, the weight of her words and the meaning behind them taking a toll on his psyche. His facial features returned to their usual cold, aloof state and he turned around just in time to see the striking Captain seemingly wiping something from her face, his mind suddenly wondering if there'd been some hidden meaning to her words. He chose not to dwell on it and allowed bubbling ire to take the place of the melancholic disappointment she'd made him feel – telling himself that this wasn't yet over. He wouldn't let her win, not when he had the superior tactical and strategic mind; oh yes, the young Captain had yet to see the full extent of his unbridled fury, and he'd be damned if he didn't make her life miserable for calling him a monster instead of a hero. Without so much as another thought on the issue, he put his pride aside temporarily before squaring his shoulders and beginning his descent to the bridge – there were more important matters to currently attend to.

* * *

It wasn't long before the Resistance attacked Starkiller base, and deep down, Ros was hopeful that the weapon could be brought down and never rise again. It was still her duty, however, to defend the abominable planet and take out the enemy, and she would do just that, or else risk Lei's life and her family's in being called and labeled a traitor.

As she stealthily maneuvered her way around TIEs and X-Wing's alike, she cleanly took out enemies a few at a time, each time silently praying that the pilot would be smart and fast enough to avoid it – but they never were. As she'd entered her ship earlier that day, she'd shoved her feelings deep where she couldn't feed on them as she did before every battle, choosing instead to deal with them when she was back in the safety and stillness of her quarters, which she knew wasn't going to happen anytime soon. The Resistance showed no signs of giving in even as they were out-maneuvered, outnumbered, and outgunned, and she let a smile briefly turn her lips at their endurance before she went back to being all business.

In the midst of the fighting, she'd been issuing commands to her squadron, asking them to check in every so often and ensure all 9 pilots still remained unharmed in the midst of the firefight. She'd watched one of the X-Wing's make it into the trenches of Starkiller base, and it didn't take long before she saw the imminent cloud of ash and fire as she flew over where the Resistance pilot had gone in – the planet was crumbling from the inside. She saw a few people evacuating the base, they looked like less than ants to her as they moved from the entrance to the escape or command shuttles and they began to take off, causing her to follow them to ensure the people inside safe passage. The fight moved outside the planet's atmosphere just in time for her to receive the communication that those high-ranking officers and Special Ops squadrons who had been stationed on Starkiller were to move to the _Supremacy_. She gave an internal shrug, not wanting to focus on this move when _Finalizer_ was still in pristine condition but, unbeknownst to her, now under the command of Captain Peavey. As she continued taking out enemies now one by one in deep space, she continued with her earlier pattern of checking on her squad and was about to issue another command when a voice inside her cried out to scream at her that there had only been 8 replies.

"Alpha Six. Alpha Six, do you copy?"

Silence was her only reply as a feeling of dread overcame her, unlike anything she'd ever felt before. Her mouth went dry and she stopped firing, glancing all around her to see if she could spot Cain Flynn's ship but it was of no use, there was too much commotion in the star-freckled space around her for her to get a good look. She didn't have time to begin her search of her comrade when she spotted a few Resistance ships breaking atmosphere just before the planet exploded, all of them headed in her direction. She took in a deep breath and thrust her ship forward towards the enemy, other TIEs following in tow, while she managed to stealthily maneuver out of most of the blasts in her direction, the others just barely grazing the outside of her ship. She placed her finger over the cannon's button and was about to fire when she spotted a white and orange droid sticking out of the side of the ship she was getting ready to blast into oblivion, causing her breath to catch in her throat. _It was_ _Poe._

Her eyes widened inside her helmet and she could only stare as the X-Wing barreled towards her, her hands shaking as she moved trembling fingers off the cannon and laser buttons and instead held the black metal ship controls tightly in her gloved hands, preparing herself for the worst – she'd let him have this win without a second thought. As if by some act of mercy or, which she thought was less unlikely, Poe had somehow recognized her or her ship, the X-Wing fired but instead of aiming for the hull of the ship, it took out one of the Silencer's wings, sending her careening into deeper space. She held the controls tight as she attempted to steady her ship, the right wing badly damaged by the blast that could've just as easily been deadly – if she ever saw Poe again, she'd make sure to ask him _why_.

She barely heard the startled cries of her crew resonate within the cabin, all of them calling out to her and asking her if she was okay. She steadied her breathing before answering in the affirmative, noticing the last of the Resistance troops were long gone and calling her crew to dock in the _Supremacy_ , the feeling of dread overcoming her once again. She entered the hangar and docked her ship in the area provided for her crew, noticing that they were all docked and had begun to crowd around her ship – she _really_ wasn't looking forward to explaining this to them. She exited the cockpit and suddenly felt the effects of the blast on her body, every nerve in her body was frayed and she was sore from head to toe, causing a clumsy exit where she stumbled slightly atop her ship. She managed to make it to the dock steps, completely unaware of the presence that had just entered the hangar to survey the damage done to his fleet as she unhooked her life support line from her helmet and pulled it off, brown hair tumbling out in heavy waves. Her body shook slightly as she tried to regulate her breathing and walked over to her men with a reassuring smile, all of whom were studying her for any injuries.

"Cap, you okay?" One of them rang out, just before he was joined by a chorus of other male voices.

"What happened, Captain?"

"You kicked ass out there!"

"Shit, your ship is messed up."

She let out a soft laugh, rubbing the back of her neck to help ease the soreness before she looked around, once again only counting eight. The mirth in her face disappeared into concern, and as she studied her men's faces, she could only think of one question to ask them. "Where is Flynn?"

The men exchanged glances before her Lieutenant spoke up for the group, his seniority appointing him the role of messenger, "We're not sure, Cap, but he hasn't shown up yet. We figured he would've by now."

Ros felt unease in the pit of her stomach and, just as she parted her lips to speak, she heard the voice of a female technician to her right, causing her to turn her head to look at her.

"Captain Guerran, they're bringing in Alpha Six."


	8. Lost (Me) & Found (You)

Chapter 8

Ros turned her body around so she could face the entrance of the hangar, her face falling in gloom when she saw the mangled body of the ship that was Alpha Six. Her and her crew stood in silence as what remained of the TIE was brought forward to be close to them, feeling bile rise in her throat when her crewmember didn't immediately emerge from the cabin. She watched the extraction technicians open the hatch and begin to pull a lifeless body from inside, her eyes welling up with tears that threatened to spill as the body left a trail of blood as it was moved. She felt her legs begin to give out under her, and she would've fallen had it not been for her two Sergeants, Vang and Kyja, each hurrying to aid her.

" _No…_ " She uttered weakly, not noticing the rest of her crew looking away from the body in sadness, knowing that their Captain was going to take this extremely hard. Barely regaining her footing, she stumbled forward to the body that now rested on the floor, the pool of crimson getting larger as she approached. She fell to her knees next to it, landing in the growing pool of blood as tears streaked down her cheeks and she removed her subordinate's helmet, noticing the trail of red that had begun at the corner of his mouth. Her body quivered as she looked down at the motionless black-haired male, her hands wrapping around the side of his vest as she called to him as if he could hear her.

"Don't do this to me," She spoke, her tears flowing from her eyes to his chest as she gently shook him. Her breaths came out shallow and she could barely see in front of her, but she knew he wasn't responsive.

" _Don't you fucking do this to me!_ " She yelled, shaking him more vigorously as if that would wake him, but it was to no avail. Her body shuddered with her sobs, her long hair falling forward and covering her face, pieces of it catching in the gaping wound that was on his chest. She barely heard the soft voice of the female from earlier speaking to her, not realizing that her crew had come close to her to show their support.

"It seems that an enemy laser cannon pierced the hull of his ship and managed to miss the engines and power cells, but went straight through his abdomen, severing the life support line in the process," She spoke softly, cautiously, "I knew you'd want his body recovered if possible, ma'am."

Ros didn't speak, merely nodded as the technician stepped away to let her process the life-changing information. Her sobs had subsided to quiet whimpers as she ran a gloved hand over his light brown eyes, closing them and leaving soft streaks of crimson on his face as she did so, her hands stained with his blood from when she'd touched his vest. She felt two sets of arms help her to her feet, and she barely registered them as Lieutenant Stevens and Sergeant Kyja as she watched her squadmate's blood drip from her jumpsuit and down her boots, making small pools at her feet.

"Find his family," She spoke suddenly, reaching up to wipe the tears from her cheeks and leaving red smudges in their place, "I'll want to speak to them. And get my ship fixed immediately." She barely heard the _'Yes, Captain'_ answers of her crew before she grabbed her helmet from Sergeant Vang's hands as he held it out to her, walking away without another word and leaving a dismal squad and bloodied footsteps in her wake.

Hux watched her leave from his position a few feet away from the scene, his eyes disapproving as he'd watched the scene unfold before him. He briefly wondered if she'd ever lost a squad member before reminding himself that she hadn't, which made the experience make more sense but it still didn't excuse her behavior. Such things happened, there were always casualties of war or collateral damage in a business such as this, which was why he'd always chosen to keep everyone at arm's length, to save himself the emotional turmoil of losing someone he'd cared about.

This brought him back to reminisce on the moments shortly before the Resistance had left, when he'd been watching the firefight from the bridge of the _Supremacy._ He'd been keeping a keen eye on her ship for as long as he could, between her and Omega's Leader he could always tell which one was hers – the one who wasn't sloppy, made calculated movements, and never missed. Which had made him wonder why, of all times, she'd chosen _not_ to fire when there'd been a Resistance ship right before her, and instead was ready to give up her life to save theirs – which led him to one conclusion – the ship must've belonged to the pilot she knew, Poe Dameron. How she'd known this was still a mystery to him, and why he'd shot her wing and not the cabin was even more so, that damn pilot had just taken down Starkiller base, his pride and joy, yet here he was purposefully _missing_ the most critical point of a ship.

He'd be lying if he didn't admit he'd been worried for her, even if he'd never say it out loud. He'd had to hold himself back from breaking his composure on the bridge as he'd seen the two ships approaching each other and only one be left unscathed, the one he was hoping for ultimately not the victor. That was a large reason why he'd gone down to the hangar with the pretense of seeing what was left of his Starkiller fleet, deep down he'd just wanted to ensure with his own two eyes that she was okay, but he'd never could've prepared himself for what he was going to witness. He'd never seen her in such a state, and half of him wanted to go over and comfort her while the other half wanted to reprimand her for showing weakness in front of the entire hangar staff, such behavior was conduct completely unbecoming to a person of high rank such as herself. Satisfied for the time being, he chose to return to the bridge and send a message through Mitaka that he wanted to see her in his office at the end of rotation.

* * *

Ros laid down on the leather couch to the right of the two chairs, her long hair still damp but pulled back into a loose braid. She wore a soft, black chemise under the black shimmersilk lounge gown that had been provided for her in her size back on _Finalizer_ , all of her belongings having been moved from there to her quarters on the _Supremacy_. She'd been laying there for a while, legs tucked up close to her as she laid her head on one of the sofa pillows, her eyes staring off into the distance while her discarded bloody clothes lay on the refresher floor. There was an empty glass of Whyren's and the half-full bottle on the caf table in front of her, and as she pondered on whether or not to have another she decided against it, the alcohol had worn off long ago, and even before it had, it hadn't been enough to dull the ache and guilt she felt in her chest.

" _It wasn't your fault, Captain,"_ She imagined her crew telling her, trying to be reassuring, _"There was nothing you could've done."_

Deep down she knew they were right, but the insurmountable shame and responsibility she felt at losing one of her squad mates, part of her _family_ , continued to eat at her. She had no doubts that there was already someone vying for the position on the squad, and she'd probably have to start training them the next time she reported to duty, which would probably be sooner than she hoped. She didn't expect anyone except maybe her crew to understand how she felt, especially when there were so many casualties and lives lost that one seemed like such an insignificant number. But it wasn't insignificant, in fact, quite the opposite. She bonded with her crew to make them close, to look out for each other but whenever Flynn had needed her the most, she hadn't been there. What had she been doing? Blasting away 'enemy' ships? She should've looked for him as soon as he stopped responding, maybe if she had, she would've gotten to him sooner and possibly saved his—

A knock at the door interrupted her thought process, and she wearily lifted herself from the couch before sighing, she had a feeling who it was coming to check on her again.

"Lei, seriously, I'm fine. I took a shower, see? Just like y—" Her words faltered, and she stared with tear-strained eyes at the last person she expected to be there, General Hux.

"Mitaka informed me you refused to meet with me in my office," Hux began curtly, giving a brief glance around before inviting himself in, hands clasped behind his back. Immediately he took in his surroundings – the dim lighting, the bloodied footsteps, the empty glass, the bottle of Whyren's on the table – and frowned, was that what she'd been doing all night?

"Sure, come in," Ros muttered sarcastically, sighing as she watched the door close behind him before taking her seat back on the sofa she'd been lounging on, "Actually, I told Mitaka to tell you that you can shove your meeting but I guess 'refuse' works," She continued dryly, watching as the red-haired General seemed to stare her down from his standing position at the other end of the table.

Hux clenched his jaw angrily, his eyes briefly scanning her form as she brought her legs up to rest on the sofa as well, the black robe parting just above her knee and giving him a clear glimpse of her tanned legs. He swallowed quickly before choosing to look somewhere else, his regal composure still perfection as he glanced around them. "I needed to speak with you about today's…events."

Ros lifted her elbow to rest on the arm of the sofa before waving her hand towards one of the chairs nearest to her, "Well, I guess I can't avoid it now that you're here. You can sit, you look really stiff standing there," She added, placing her cheek in her hand as she watched him take the seat farthest from her, rolling her eyes, "Now what do you want? Let's make this as brief and painless as possible."

Hux's nostrils flared indignantly; obviously the loss of her crew member hadn't given her any more manners. He clasped his hands on his lap, regarding her with a look of mild hostility, "I want to know why you didn't fire on that Resistance ship."

Ros's expression faltered, and she felt a knot in the pit of her stomach at knowing someone had seen her. She, of course, wasn't about to show him this and instead, stood up from the sofa and moved to sit directly in front of him on the caf table, watching his face closely. "How do you even know that was my ship?"

Hux eyed her closely the entire time she moved, trying to hide the visible gulp when she sat in front of him and crossed her legs, the robe splitting open again and revealing them this time to her thigh. "I could tell by your maneuvering and efficiency, not to mention that anyone else in your position would've taken the shot without a second thought. Which brings me back to my question – _why_ didn't you fire on that ship?"

Ros rested her hands behind her on the caf table, leaning her weight backwards slightly as she watched him, "Because I didn't want to," She shrugged, letting out a sigh, "Why do you care so much if I did or didn't, anyway?"

Hux tried to ignore her bare shoulders that had been revealed when she'd shrugged and the robe had fallen down, keeping his eyes trained on her face, "Because, Captain Guerran, such an act could be considered _treason_."

"Oh?" Ros began, slowly leaning forward and crossing her arms above her lap, still not fixing her robe, "And what are the consequences? Execution? Torture? Getting kicked out of the First Order? 'Cause I'm sure you'd like all three of those," She answered brusquely, her legs close enough to touch his now that she'd scooted forward and glared at him.

" _No, I wouldn't,"_ Hux thought solemnly, suddenly standing and looking down at her with his towering height, "You're absolutely right about that, Captain. And if I find out that ship was piloted by Poe Dameron, I won't hesitate to rule you a _traitor_."

"Go ahead!" Ros replied angrily, standing up as suddenly as he did but instantly regretting it when her body reminded her of the acute thrashing she'd received earlier. She was about to fall crashing down onto the caf table behind her, and braced herself for more bruises until she was caught by a pair of strong, uniform-clad arms. Her hands gripped his greatcoat for support and she stared at his chest, her following words barely audible even to her own ears. "How do I always end up in your arms?" She whispered, swiftly regaining her senses before gently pushing him away to sit back on the couch and gasping when he took her with him, his hand getting caught in the robe's sash. She managed to somewhat catch herself on the arms of the couch and instead of falling on top of him, she ended up straddling his lap. She blushed furiously and went to stand but found two firm, resilient hands on her waist keeping her in place.

"You've been drinking, haven't you? Alone?" He asked quietly, remembering whenever she'd asked him a similar question many weeks before and trying to ignore the feel of her warm body on his lap and the curve of her waist under his hands. "You know that's not good for you," He repeated her own words back to her, watching all the earlier anger and resistance ebb away to sorrow and shame.

Ros's eyes brimmed with tears at the memory of what she'd seen earlier, her hands resting on his chest as she looked away, "I can't get it out of my head. I can't believe he's really gone…my crew is the only family I have on this ship," she whispered, not needing to mention Leillea as he probably already knew she was like her sister.

Hux watched the tears come freely and, instead of chastising her, he felt a completely new emotion he never even knew he had – _empathy_. Something about her being vulnerable like this just wanted him to make her feel better, to tell her everything was going to be okay even if he didn't know it for sure. "You can't blame yourself," he began, watching as she turned her face back to look at him, her beautiful features streaked with tears, "There's nothing you could've done."

Ros searched his eyes for sincerity and found it deep within the well of blue. She reached up and wiped her cheeks with the back of her hands, nodding slightly before she gave an embarrassed laugh, her eyes meeting his again, "Why are you being so nice to me?"

Hux didn't know what answer to give her, the truth or a lie. The truth was he wanted to be like this with her always, to be there for her whenever she needed someone to listen or simply to be in his arms. He wanted her to be open with him, to trust him to care for her and take care of her, he'd give her the galaxy if she let him. But he knew he couldn't admit it to her, especially when the words from their last encounter still rang in his head: _'I don't want to feel anything for you, Hux. I can't allow myself to fall in love with a fucking_ _ **monster**_ _.'_

He'd thought about those words every day since she'd said them to him, turned them over and over in his head trying to decipher a hidden meaning, but he'd found none. Until now, sitting here, looking at her, he realized that there had been one, and she'd said it probably without meaning to say it. She _felt_ something for him, even if she didn't want to, she _did_ , and she was afraid to let those feelings grow after he'd fired that weapon. But even so, as they looked into each other's eyes for the first time in what felt to him like eternity, he wondered – did she still think of him that way? As if reading his mind, she spoke.

"Okay, I take that back, maybe you're not a monster," Ros said quietly, almost missing the glimmer of hope that flashed across his eyes, "But you're still an asshole," she whispered, closing the already-tiny distance between them before pressing her lips against his, softly, tenderly, as if hesitant to see what his reaction would be.

Hux, completely unexpecting of this turn of events, quickly seized the opportunity he'd been hoping and waiting for, returning her kiss with an ardor that he didn't know he possessed. He pulled her body close to him, the thin material of her robe teasing his hands as he placed one on her lower back and the other between her shoulder blades, feeling the uncertainty in her body melt at his touch.

Ros pulled back just enough to catch her breath, their noses almost touching as she searched into his eyes for the meaning of what had just transpired between them. She slowly licked her lips, not even realizing she was doing so as she tasted him, her cheeks turning an even deeper shade of red as she breathed softly, wondering what to do next.

Hux made the decision for her when he reclaimed her lips, unable to simply stare into the eyes of the woman who'd captivated his mind, body, and possibly even his heart. He ran his tongue over her lips and she relented, giving him access as their tongues danced with a similar passion that they'd done before. He could smell the sweet of her shampoo and the soap on her skin, and as he locked them in his memory he felt something he didn't expect – her hands unbuttoning the front of his greatcoat. After she did so, they parted long enough for him to shrug it off his shoulders and arms, gently pulling at the sash of her robe and watching as it fell away to pool at his feet, leaving her in only the short black nightgown and matching shimmersilk panties that barely covered her body. Her neck was fully revealed to him since her hair was pulled back, and he took pleasure in feeling the way her hands wrapped in the short of his hair as he kissed and made sensual trails on her neck, delighting in the whimpers she elicited that he'd so long been craving, especially on nights that he'd remember that fateful encounter in his office and wished it was her hands instead of his.

Little did he know, she'd done the same, probably on the same nights and merely steps from each other. As he so effortlessly made her body like putty in his hands, she cleared her desire-ridden mind long enough to fumble with his jacket belt, unclipping it and tossing it aside, feeling his lips smile into her delicate skin at her antics. She undid his jacket, pausing only to tighten her grip on it when he suckled a particularly sensitive area of her neck, her body responding to him by eliciting gentle moans.

When she'd removed his jacket, he surprised her by standing up and taking her with him, stepping over the discarded robe and pressing her up against the nearest wall, feeling as she wrapped her legs around his waist. She began removing his shirt, muttering a soft _'How many fucking layers does this damn uniform have?'_ that elicited a soft chuckle from him – something even he hadn't heard in a _very_ long time. Upon hearing this, he felt her still momentarily and he looked up to see her smirking at him, just before she gave him a kiss with such fervor that it'd put their previous others to shame. Both of them stopped fumbling with the clothes long enough for her to place her hands on his cheeks as she did so, temporarily distracted by her breath-taking display of attraction but not enough that he didn't place a hand at the nape of her neck, deepening the kiss and pressing their bodies tightly together. It wasn't long before she began to mess with his shirt again and he pulled his boots off with his feet, kicking them aside without the usual care and pride he had when he normally took them off, completely forgotten as he began to unbuckle and remove his pants. They fell to his feet, but he simply shoved them over along with the shirt that she'd managed to remove before he pulled away from her long enough to pull her nightgown off, taking a moment to revel in the marvel of her almost-naked body, his imagination having been far inferior to the real thing.

He didn't know at what point she'd managed to pull his underwear off but before he knew it, they too were at his feet and carelessly kicked aside. He felt her hair touching his shoulders and he realized it must've come loose at some point during their exchange, not that he cared – in fact, he quite enjoyed seeing her with her hair down, especially now that it was somewhat messy from their current endeavor and he could tangle his hands up in it as he'd done before. He pulled her racy (considering what was standard issue) underwear to the side, having felt her excitement through them and he wasn't disappointed when he ran a finger in between her folds and she gasped, tightening her grip on his shoulders. He licked and nibbled on her neck, the heat of their bodies mixing as he slowly, torturously entered a finger and then two, eliciting some loud moans from the brunette. He took a brief recess from her neck and looked at her, never stopping his movements with his fingers as he watched her face twist in pleasure, her aquamarine eyes gazing at him through partly-lowered lids. It wasn't long before she fisted his hair with one hand, pulling him closer to kiss him passionately before she drew his bottom lip between her teeth and gently nibbled on it, a wave of pleasure cascading down his body and eliciting a low growl from the male before he pulled and ripped her underwear off without a care, somewhere in the back of his mind making a mental reminder her to get her some new ones.

Surprisingly, the motion didn't hurt one bit as if the material had been made of air itself, but Ros paid no mind as she was easily carried off the wall and towards her bedroom by the red-headed General. She felt his length press against her heat with each step and she groaned, as much as she wanted to impale herself upon him, he wouldn't let her, keeping his hold firm on her behind. She barely felt herself being laid down on her bed and she opened her eyes when she no longer felt the warmth of his body pressing against hers. She almost wondered if he'd changed his mind when she spotted him kneeling on the edge of the tall bed (she sometimes even had trouble getting on it to sleep), the mere thought of the great General of the First Order on his knees about to go down on her causing a wave of pleasure to go down her body like lightning and causing a loud, lust-filled groan to escape her pink lips.

Upon hearing her reaction, Hux smirked and knew that making one of (and there were many when it came to her) his fantasies come true had been the right choice, especially considering he hadn't even touched her. But it didn't stay that way for long, he'd never done this before but he was a fast learner and if her sounds and responses were any indication he was on the right track. For the same reason he'd never done it, usually only focusing on his own pleasure, was the same reason he wanted to do this to her – he wanted to see and hear what he was making her feel, wanted to watch her thrash in pleasure not just beneath (or on top of) him but in front of him, as well. Taking extra care to watch for any subtle signs she may give, he began by gently spreading her lips open and slowly licking her inner folds, trailing the tip of his tongue around the small nub and feeling her body respond to his movements.

"Ooooh, holy _fuck_ ," Ros cried out, her back arching against the bed as she felt him study her reactions, slowly teasing and tantalizing her by adding and removing pressure in subtle changes that drove her wild. She would've never known he hadn't done this before considering the way he asserted himself like an expert, quickly learning her body's favorite swirls, licks, and sucks and slowly but wonderfully driving her closer to climax. "Oh Hux, you're, I'm—"

He didn't let her finish her incoherent sentence, knowing exactly what she was going to say before she even spoke the words, sending her over the edge with one last lick, suck, and change of pressure in between. Her watched her body writhe as she rode out the last waves of her orgasm, the smirk never leaving his lips as he finished tasting her saccharine nectar and brought himself to stand, obviously proud of himself for having made the feisty, sexy Captain elicit those sounds for him and only him, allowing him to be in control. He looked down at her, noticing the way she struggled to catch her breath and smiled at him, a smile he'd never seen before and he was almost certain no one else had, either. He took this as his cue and he lowered himself to be on top of her, giving her breasts the attention they hadn't gotten all night as he sucked and licked on them as well, teasing the other with his hand before switching. It wasn't long before he allowed her to pull him into another deep kiss as she slowly trailed up the sides of his legs with her feet, just before she wrapped her legs around his waist as a wordless invitation.

He gladly took it, slowly entering her and eliciting a moan not only from the look of pure pleasure on her face but from how tight she felt around his ready and willing member. Without thinking too much on it, he pinned her wrists above her head gently, watching as her back arched and listening to her moans with every thrust, never happier that she was so _vocal_. He decided to fulfill another one of his fantasies and picked her up in his arms, never separating the two of them as he did what he'd thought of earlier when he had her up against the wall, except this time she was fully naked and, as earlier, oh so ready for him. He listened to her moan as he thrusted her against the wall, going deeper each time until there was no more of him left to give her slick channel. He felt her walls tightening around him and he knew she was getting close with him not far behind, giving him an extra push as he pressed his face into the crook of her neck, feeling her arms wrap around his own neck tightly to keep him close. He recognized her sounds and the barely audible moan of his name into his ear as she climaxed, feeling himself getting ready to follow suit but not before growling the words _'You're mine'_ into her ear, shortly after crossing his own threshold and releasing himself and all his inhibitions into her, leaving both of them panting for breath.

He felt his body tire from their activities and he carried her, still in his arms, over to the bed and set the both of them down gently, the two of them untangling themselves from each other as Ros pulled the messed-up sheets over them. He looked at her for any signs of regret or disappointment but when he didn't find any, he simply watched the serene look on her face as she drifted off to sleep, wisps of hair clinging to her olive skin. He felt himself grow weary, and even though the punctual side of him told him he needed to be on the bridge bright and early tomorrow, the side long suppressed that had just gotten sated for the first time in a long while won out, giving in to his fatigued yet _very_ content body as he fulfilled yet another fantasy, this time of him sleeping with her in bed.


	9. Unforeseen Consequences

Chapter 9

Ros's eyelids fluttered open, her aquamarine eyes still slightly groggy from being half-asleep. She let out a soft sigh, sitting up and moving her hair out of her face as the memories of last night came rushing back to her, causing her eyes to widen and look around her room. Hux was nowhere to be found, and she partly wondered if she'd dreamed the whole thing until she noticed a few stray red hairs left behind by their owner on the pillow, their tint a stark contrast to the sharp white of her bed linens. She gulped slowly before looking down at herself, peeking under the sheet covering her and seeing her naked body, causing her mouth to drop in surprise – so it really _had_ happened. She was about to get out of bed when her com went off and she looked over, picking it up off the nightstand she'd thrown it on before she'd taken a shower last night. She pulled up the message from her Lieutenant, a simple _'Your ship is back to full capacity, Captain'_ that allowed her to let out a sigh of relief, the last thing she wanted to do was worry about fixing it even if she usually preferred it, knowing that she'd probably be too distracted by the previous days' events to even consider it, and in the end, she'd probably end up hurting herself. Even still, she needed to go take a look at it to ensure it'd been done right and take a test flight, so she stood and dressed into her full flight gear, partly thankful that she had more than one set while the other part of her dreaded trying to find her helmet and boots, since she knew Flynn's blood was still on both of them.

She stepped out of her bedroom and glanced around, noticing her caf table had a brand new set of gear, helmet and all, on it to replace her bloodied one, and her boots had been shined and cleaned, looking almost brand-new. _"Did someone send a droid in here?"_ She wondered, noticing the empty glass and bottle of Whyren's were both gone, probably put back in their place by said droid, as well as the nightie she'd been wearing that had probably been taken to the laundry for her. Not thinking much on it other than that the droids on the _Supremacy_ were pretty damn efficient, she put on her boots without much effort before grabbing her new helmet, making her way out the door. As she began her walk towards the elevator, she used her free hand to mess with the armored vest to get it to rest more comfortably on her feminine torso, almost being too distracted to notice the person she was about to run straight into slumped up against the wall.

She stopped just in time to look up, realizing said person was Hux looking unusually disheveled as he ran a pale hand through his hair, obviously too into his thoughts to notice her or the people around them, most of them officers who were giving him curious looks or averting their eyes, never having seen the proud General in such an alarming state. She took a slow step closer, noticing his hands were trembling from what she could only guess was rage before moving to step directly in front of him, noticing the fresh blood trailing from his lip to his chin which caused her eyes to widen – she'd never seen him in such a state, either.

"General, you wished to see me in your office?" She spoke quietly, catching his attention and noticing his rage slowly simmering to confusion as he looked at her. She glanced from him to his office door a few doors down, and when she saw him about to answer in the negative, she gave him a small roll of her eyes and mouthed _'Get the fuck in there, Hux,'_ knowing full well he could understand her – Lei had told her lip-reading had been a basic skill everyone learns at the Academy. She honestly expected him to argue with her about being so insolent, but was pleasantly surprised when he simply muttered a _'Yes, indeed'_ that was barely audible to anyone but her before straightening himself up and walking to his office. She followed him with a proud gait, the people around them not even paying attention to them now that the General had seemed to return to his usual self, not including the blood on his face.

Once inside his office, Hux waited for the door to close behind her before trying to hide the vulnerability in his face and eyes, regarding her with a distant look before he spoke. "What do you want?"

Ros didn't miss the brief flickers of pain, anger, and a subtle helplessness that flashed across his features, allowing her own to relax as she watched him for a few brief moments. She knew something bad had happened to him, but she wouldn't find out what if she began a verbal battle with him, despite the fact that he shot her an 'I don't need your pity' grumble as he walked over to his desk chair and sat down, wincing slightly in the process. She could feel his eyes scrutinizing her as she remained silent, tossing her helmet into the chair she'd sat in before and began to look around his office, smiling when she finally found what she was looking for and gently pulled it off the wall, the thing looked pretty much brand new.

She held the small box in her hands as she walked over to him, stepping in the space between his desk and the chair he sat in, setting the kit down on one side of the desk before turning to face him, using her hands to hoist herself up gently to sit on his desk directly across from him. She ignored his hard, calculating stare as he watched her closely, trying to figure out what she was doing before she leaned forward and placed a hand on each arm of his chair, pulling him towards her and hearing the soft sound of the chair's wheels moving against the metal floor. She placed one leg on each side of him, effectively pinning him in front of and beneath her under the desk as his eyes widened, staring up at her the few inches the desk gave her with a look of pure bewilderment on his handsome face. She kept her temporary silence as she reached to her left and opened the box, grabbing out a sterile alcohol wipe and tearing it open, pulling the small, soaked square of cloth out of the package before turning to him and placing her left hand gently under his chin, turning his face up even further to look at her.

"This might hurt a bit."

Hux studied her face in silence, unsure why she was helping him and trying to keep himself composed considering she was almost pretty much straddling him, had the desk not been in the way. He winced when she pressed the pad to his cut lip, but he couldn't move his eyes from her, completely getting lost in studying the length of her curled lashes and the small flush on her cheeks that matched perfectly with her focused cyan gaze. He felt her begin to wipe the rest of the drying blood away before she broke the silence between them and asked him a question, her voice so soft he almost didn't hear her.

"What happened?"

Hux broke his stare momentarily, eyes distant as he answered her. "We lost the _Fulminatrix_ ," He began quietly, trying to ignore the sting of his lip as he spoke, "Supreme Leader Snoke reprimanded me for it by humiliating me in front of my crew. On the bridge," He finished, slowly and hesitantly turning back to face her, almost afraid to look her in the eye after revealing what was probably his weakest moment.

Ros let out a soft hum, reaching back into the kit and pulling out a tiny canister of clear bacta gel and a cotton swab, dipping the swab in the gel before she turned back to Hux, gently pressing it to his cut lip, "Ah, Snoke. I've heard of him. He seems just about as volatile and childish as Kylo Ren," She began, watching Hux trying to hold back a smile as she worked, "He definitely sounds like an epic douche…You didn't deserve that, Hux. I didn't realize some Force users could be so unstable," she continued quietly, watching as the bacta gel seeped into his cut and began healing the wound seemingly miraculously. She set the cotton swab aside before turning back to look at him, running her fingers through his hair to gently move the stray strands of red back into their place, "And before you say anything, you're not weak, and this definitely isn't pity. There's a reason you have this rank, don't forget that. Now you go back and take that bridge by the balls, deal?"

Hux couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle, the cut no longer bothering him as the bacta did its very efficient job. He watched the corners of her lips turn up into a smile, her eyes crinkling from the movement and creating half-moon shapes as he silently realized it was his turn to question why she was being so nice to him. He didn't speak, however, but instead pulled the chair back enough to stand, watching as her face shifted so she was looking up at him with a curious expression on her face. He could only bear to look at her another brief moment before he reached forward, tangling a hand in her hair and using the other to pull her against him, laying on her lower back. He leaned down slowly to reach her lips, their gaze never breaking until their lips met in a kiss and he held her, feeling the warmth of her flushed cheeks caressing his face. He pulled back after a few breathless moments, and he was about to dive again when he heard the distinct, piercing sound of a com call trying to gain their attention.

Ros's eyebrows furrowed slightly, moving her hands from Hux's chest to pull out the com device nestled safely in her belt, on the opposite side of her blaster. She pushed the button to ignore the call before tossing it to the side on the desk, turning back to Hux and reaching up to place her hands behind his neck, pulling him towards her as the two locked lips again and he deepened the kiss. The sound of another call rang at her side and she simply grabbed the device and tossed it against the wall, hearing the soft clunks as it made impact before landing on the floor, never missing a beat or even bothering to open her eyes. She felt Hux's hands begin to roam down her body as it pressed against his, the space between their bodies zero as he kissed her hungrily, ready to ravish her and her body as he'd done the night before. He moved one hand to tease the soft flesh between her legs through the fabric of the jumpsuit, causing her to moan into his mouth before he moved his lips to her neck, nipping her skin gently. He was about to begin unzipping the back of her jumpsuit when her wrist com went off and she let out a string of curses, pulling back from him enough to answer the call and listening to her Lieutenant's smooth voice relaying the message that had been sent for her.

"Captain. Commander Ren requests your presence as part of his personal back-up in the upcoming assault on the Resistance fleet."

Ros's hand gripped the wrist device tightly, the corner of her eye twitching in anger, "What the hell does he need me for? Doesn't he have LeHuse for that?"

There was hesitation on the other line as Ros waited for an answer. "Uhm…well, yes, Cap. But he also _personally_ requested _you_."

Ros let out an irritated sigh; had it been anyone else but Kylo Ren she wouldn't have been so pissed off, but since he was technically her superior, she didn't have much of a choice – she knew Ren would track her down amidst the _Supremacy_ if he had to. "Fucking A…fine. I'll be there in a few." She barely heard the _'Yes, Captain'_ on the other line before she ended the call, pressing her thumb and index finger into the bridge of her nose before shaking her head. "That son of a bitch…"

Hux watched her with slightly restrained worry, trying to figure out Ren's ulterior motives for requesting her presence and knowing he undoubtedly had some. He took a step back to allow her to stand, scrutinizing her face for any signs of fear she might have about her upcoming mission, but sighing in relief when he didn't find anything but her beautiful smile gracing her features. She looked up at him, her bright eyes twinkling gloriously under the lights of his office as she slowly, almost hesitantly, reached a hand up and placed it on his cheek, allowing him to lower his face down to hers before their lips met in a avid kiss. She pulled back after a few seconds, her face betraying the fact that she wasn't used to displaying affection before she placed her hand back at her side and parted her lips to speak.

"Well, I guess I better get going before he comes looking for me," She uttered softly, watching him give her a quick nod as she stepped aside and walked towards the chair on the opposite side of them, picking the com off the floor and placing it in her belt before retrieving her helmet. She made her way to the door, pausing only when she heard Hux's voice call out to her.

"Ros," He uttered softly, her preferred name feeling foreign on his tongue, "Be careful."

Ros had turned to look at him over her shoulder when he spoke her name, liking the way it sounded in his deep, silk-like voice. His next words surprised her, but she recovered quickly and gave him a wink, a playful smile on her lips as she did so. "You got it, _General,_ " she replied with a hint of teasing in her tone, just before she turned back and exited the doors that opened for her.

* * *

Ros hadn't known exactly what to expect when she'd been forced into Kylo Ren's personal squadron, but as she watched the carnage unfold before her as she weaved her way in between and around enemy ships, she definitely knew she hadn't expected the Commander to fly into the _Raddus'_ hangar bay and fire at will, destroying countless Resistance fighters and troops. She could only hope none of them had been Poe as she'd taken out a few of the remaining fighters and bombers around the _Raddus_ on the way, managing to make it through with only a few burns and scratches on her ship. She watched as various TIEs were destroyed around her, hoping none of them were her crew since she was forced to lock in to Ren's frequency to await any and all of his orders. She'd purposefully defied his command to follow his lead, choosing instead to cover his ship and the rest of her temporary squadron by setting her lasers on any enemy fire that threatened them, the combined force of her and the enemies' lasers causing them to blow apart in the middle of space without actually hitting anything or anyone.

As Kylo Ren made his way to the command deck of the _Raddus_ , she used a modification she hadn't yet gotten a chance to test by copying Ren's lock on the bridge, seeing what he saw while flying alongside him and waiting for him to shoot before she'd use supportive fire to assist him in taking down the bridge, but the longer she waited, the shorter time it look her to realize that he wasn't going to do it at all. She glanced to her left to ensure his ship was still there and intact and when she saw it was, she turned back to the large ship before her, using her helmet's cameras to zoom in on the people inside the deck and seeing what she knew to be Resistance high-command, causing her to put two and two together. She'd heard of Kylo Ren killing his father, Han Solo, which logically meant his mother was General Leia Organa, and said General was part of Resistance high command, currently directly in front of them. She disengaged the lock on her cannons and pulled upwards, but not before watching Lieutenant LeHuse discharge his own on the bridge, causing her to let out a alarmed gasp when she saw the command deck in flames.

It wasn't long, though, before she heard the voice of General Hux over the frequency, telling Ren that they couldn't cover him at the distance he currently sat, and to return to the fleet. She couldn't help but smirk when she saw Ren's ship do as told, knowing that the Commander probably wasn't happy with not only being told what to do, but also with having to withdraw from the firefight. Regardless, she followed suit, approaching the hangar bay but letting out a startled curse when she watched a TIE/fo being shot to pieces, one of the large, hexagonal wings splitting in two and heading straight for her cockpit. She pulled back and engaged the rear thrusters in hopes to miss the wayward metal but it was much too close and spinning at such high speed that she had no option but to angle her ship a hard right, the steel managing to miss the cabin but instead slicing off a potion of the left wing, sending both pieces of the top and bottom forks as well as her ship careening into the hangar, eventually skidding to a halt in the middle of it. She took in a sharp breath when she watched a piece of the bottom fork heading straight for her cabin and, unable to steer the ship anywhere without causing more damage and possible fatalities, not to mention the ship itself could be unstable, she watched almost in slow-motion as the spinning piece finally reached the reinforced glass before her, shattering it and splitting the metal into various pieces, two shards of which managed to bypass the broken glass and embed themselves into her left shoulder and solar plexus.

"FUCK!" She cried out, her hands trembling as she looked down at her chest, staring at the metal sliver lodged deep within her armor, thankful that she had the vest – if she hadn't, she'd surely have been dead by now. She thought twice about pulling it out, knowing that it had pierced her skin but, unsure of how deep it had gone, didn't want to chance removing it and bleeding out before she got herself to the medics. She rose on shaky legs, trying to place most of her weight on her right arm as she pulled herself up and out of the hatch, grinding her teeth together to keep from yelling out in pain. She watched as a repair crew approached with a ladder, making her way towards it and using her right hand to pull her life support line, just before taking her helmet off. She noticed most of her crew running up to the steps and crowding around as she made her way over to and down them, scanning their faces and coming up short two pilots.

"Where's Maru and Hansol?" She asked, watching as they all in unison gave her a _'You're-really-worried-about-them-instead-of-yourself-right-now?'_ knowing look before one of her Sergeants, Gando Kyja, spoke up.

"They're both in sick bay right now, Cap. Just minor injuries, though," the brunette male spoke, watching the look of relief cross her tanned features before she replied.

"Ah, good," She replied, giving them a smile before she winced, "I'm headed that way anyway," she added, beginning to walk towards the exit as another one of her men's voices stopped her.

"Cap, you're bleeding. Are you sure you don't want one of us to take you?" This time it was her other Sergeant, Kordath Vang, speaking to her.

"I'm good Sarge, thanks," She replied, holding out her helmet to him and glancing down at the two red stripes briefly as he took it, "Can you make sure this gets taken up to my quarters?" She paused, looking back up at her men with a tight, pained smile, "And have them fix my ship…again. Not sure how long it'll be before we get called out next, and I won't be able to do it myself for a little while," She concluded, giving them a small wave with her right hand before making her way back towards the exit, halting once more when her Lieutenant spoke to her.

"Cap, you know you don't have to go on the next mission, right? There's no shame in sitting it out when you're injured."

Without turning, she merely glanced over her shoulder at the messy line of men and gave them a grin before answering, "Not a chance."

* * *

Finally inside the elevator, Ros took a pained breath and looked down at her left hand, tightening and relaxing her fist as she checked for any possible nerve damage. She reached up to gently touch the sliver in her left shoulder, wincing at the throbbing pain but clenching her fingers as she did so, thankful that she still had full mobility. She didn't even realize someone had entered in after her until the doors closed and she heard the familiar, callous voice of the Commander she'd just had to support in battle.

"It seems you're not as good a pilot as I originally thought," Kylo Ren began, crudely staring at her wounds with disdain as he used the Force to keep the lift doors shut tightly; he didn't want anyone interrupting anything that might happen between the two of them.

Ros felt the anger rise within her and she looked up, staring into his maskless face before snapping back with her own smart reply, her still-gloved right hand pointing in his direction, "Says the guy who couldn't even fire on the bridge of the _Raddus_."

He descended upon her in an instant, crossing the short space between them in a few long strides and grabbing her throat with his hand, pinning her against the wall of the elevator as his next words came out in a growl, " _What_ did you just say to me?!"

Ros felt him slowly cutting off her air supply but she managed to smirk, her knowing eyes locked on his as she refused to give him the panic and distress she knew he wanted from her. "You couldn't do it," she managed to utter, watching as the realization that someone had noticed him falter hit his pale face as she continued in a whisper, "You couldn't fire because you knew your mother was there."

Snarling in rage, Ren tossed her against the opposite wall like a rag doll before descending on her again, using the shard embedded in her shoulder to force her to stand up, getting even more irate when she clenched her jaw and refused to cry out in pain. "You know _nothing_ ," He spat cruelly, grabbing the wrists of the hands she was attempting to push him off with and pinning them above her head with one gloved hand, slowly twisting the shard he held with the other and watching as tears brimmed her eyes, "You _are_ _ **nothing**_ _!_ "

"Without the Force, _you're_ nothing but a petulant, whiny man-child," She retorted through gritted teeth, watching as he let go of the shard in her shoulder and used that now-free hand to slowly wrap his large fingers around her delicate neck.

"Is that so?...You know Captain, it really is too bad. If _you_ were a Force-user, you'd have made an _excellent_ Knight of Ren," He mocked almost calmly, hearing her whisper a low ' _Fuck you'_ in reply that caused him to chuckle darkly. Using his knuckles, he pushed her chin upwards so her face was directly in front of his as he leaned down to her, barely inches from it as he silently admired the defiance in her eyes despite her position. "I could kill you right now," He spoke threateningly, bubbling rage filling every crevasse of his words as he cut off her air supply, "Just snap your neck in two and end your pathetic existence. All your pride and confidence gone, just like that."

Ros's aqua-green eyes began to fog from lack of air but regardless she narrowed them at him; she knew this was a battle she would lose but she wasn't going to go down in it begging him for her life, especially since that's exactly what he wanted, "Then _do it_."

Ren merely smirked at her, releasing the hold he had on her neck and waiting until she took a deep gasp of air to speak again, "You're still so insolent, even when you know you can't win against me. You don't seem to understand – I can make you feel fear, pain, _pleasure_ ," He growled sinisterly, watching her facial expressions switch briefly between each feeling as he used his powers to send waves of them down her body, keeping her pressed against the wall and her hands immobile as he had her wrists securely pinned above her head. The beautiful aqua of her eyes stared into his dark ones as she did her best to not give him what he needed to hear while struggling to attempt to stifle a moan, causing him to smirk wickedly while he made the final sensation he'd mentioned linger and exponentially more powerful than the other two.

"I could just as easily swiftly separate that pretty head from the rest of your body," He added, his face still barely inches from hers as he continued, giving her enough time to shut her eyes tight briefly as she tried to steel herself against the clashing mix of what he was forcing her to feel and the real excruciating pain from her wound. Her cheeks had turned a lovely pink hue against her olive skin, her eyes snapping open when he used the hand he'd kept loosely on her neck to grasp her chin firmly, glaring at him as she parted her lips to speak but stiffening when she felt him press his mouth against hers. She tried to move her head away but was unable to due to his strong hold, blinking away tears of horror when she felt him sending cascades of desire down her body, distracting her long enough for him to release her jaw without her immediately noticing and move his grip to the shard in her chest, using the Force to push it inwards through armor and bone and pulling back enough to watch her eyes widen in surprise, causing him to chuckle darkly, "But I'd much rather give you a slow, agonizing death."

Ros felt her body's temperature slowly begin to drop as she stared at him, feeling the trickles of blood sluggishly exiting both corners of her mouth and nose. She tried to breathe, but every time she did so she felt the agonizingly burning pain in her chest, her shoulder almost no longer a factor in adding to her anguish. She was barely able to recognize him sneering at her before he inclined his head upwards, staring at something she didn't have the strength to look at before he raised the hand that had been holding her wrists and her arms fell limply to her sides, the only sound that followed being the crackling and breaking of the elevator security cameras he'd crumpled so no one would find her.

He removed his gloves and tangled his left hand in her hair, using the fingers of his right to trace vertical lines down the smooth skin of her neck as he leaned forward, placing his mouth close to her ear, "Goodbye, Captain. Consider yourself lucky I don't have time to watch you die in my arms."

Ros felt him take a step back to admire his handiwork, a smug grin on his face as he walked past her crumbling form and out the elevator into a hallway littered with specks of people who stood frozen as he walked by, uttering four simple words that barely entered her ears and traveled up to her brain: _'No one help her.'_

* * *

Hux stood at the helm of the ship, watching as the _Raddus_ attempted to escape them, even though he – and probably they – knew it was futile. He heard a noise he hardly recognized as a gasp coming from behind him, but he ignored it and kept looking out the large window, a pleased smile on his lips as he enjoyed their futile struggle. He was about to bark another order to Peavey when he heard a trifecta of whispered words that sent a chill down his spine.

" _Ros, please no!"_

He recognized the voice as belonging to Sergeant Summers and he swiveled on his heel, keeping his face composed as he looked at his security technician, tears in her eyes and a hand covering her mouth. He kept his hands clasped behind his back as he walked over to her, approaching with a fast gait and watching as the blonde attempted to gather herself, quickly wiping the tears from her eyes. "What is it, Sergeant?"

Leillea shook her head, embarrassed that the General had seen her anything but professional and well-collected. "Nothing, sir," She lied, glancing down at the bottom right corner of her screen where Ros was being choked by Kylo Ren.

Hux watched in horror as Ren twisted the metal in the Captain's shoulder, an overwhelming feeling of dread and anger coming over him as he watched the black-clad male whispering to her not long before he forcefully kissed her, uttering his next words quietly, "What elevator is this?"

"The one nearest the bridge, sir. It appears it's headed this way from the hangar floor."

Hux felt terror, ire, and helplessness come over him in waves as he witnessed Ren plunging the metal shard further into the woman's body, the same woman he'd been dreaming and agonizing over since their first encounter. "Contact the med bay," He began, feeling his body begin to tremble in rage as he saw the beautiful Captain's face be marred by streams of blood crawling their way down her nose and mouth before Ren crushed the cameras, "Tell them to get ready for a critical _immediately_." Without another word, he exited the command deck and rushed past a self-satisfied Ren, whom Hux would've given a stern reprimand and probably even a few punches but there were more important matters – and people – to attend to.

Ros felt her body losing strength as it slid down the elevator wall, leaving a snail trail of smudged blood as she moved, the harsh, bright color a stark contrast to the steel walls. She looked down at her quivering hands almost in confusion, reaching up to touch around the chest wound as if to see if it was really there. She pulled her hand back and looked at it again, now stained red with fresh blood as she felt her mind weaving in and out of consciousness, the picture around her eyes starting to lose color from the outside in. The last of her energy left her and she fell onto her right side, her cheek pressed against the cold metal while she let out stifled coughs that specked the otherwise pristine floor of the lift with crimson drops of varying sizes. She could hear faint footsteps in the distance, but inwardly told herself not to expect anything as everyone around her had been pretty much commanded to watch or let her die. Her eyelids felt heavy and she blinked, but with each time she did so her eyes opened less and less, until she knew she was at death's door when she heard her name – it must be an angel from Heaven or devil from Hell calling out to her.

She felt herself being picked up into someone's embrace, one of their arms beneath her knees and the other supporting her upper back, while her head was cradled gently to rest on the person's chest. She used what little strength she had left to move her head enough to look up, staring into a pair of cerulean eyes that held panic and worry beneath them. "Hux…" She managed to whisper, giving him a feeble smile as she raised her hand weakly and traced her bloody fingers down his cheek, leaving streaks of dark red on his smooth skin before she felt the last of her energy leave her and her vision went black, pulling her with it into unconsciousness.


	10. Save Me, Take Me

Chapter 10

Hux watched the unconscious form of Captain Guerran being wheeled away on a gurney, bag valve mask pressed firmly against her face while one of the nurses surrounding her pressed and depressed the valve in a steady rhythm to try and keep her breathing. A doctor was straddling the captain's body on the gurney while trying to carefully insert an IV into her vein, knowing it was risky but having no time to spare as a nurse to his left pulled the IV pole with fluids attached along with them and towards a set of durasteel doors that swung inward and outward, this particular type of entry being unique to the sick bay. His thoughts were lost among the hurried calls he'd just heard from the medical staff, the mix of _'She's hemorrhaging too much blood! We need to cut this armor off!'_ and _'We're losing her! Prep the O.R. stat!'_ muddling any cognitive function he currently possessed. After they'd disappeared behind the double doors, he saw the head of the medical department rushing out of one patient's room and towards where her staff had just gone, Hux's voice stopping her mid-stride.

"Dr. Lanith, I expect you to keep this as quiet and confidential as if it were the Supreme Leader himself," Hux warned, watching the woman nod at him and begin to make for the doors again, but his next words freezing her in place once more, "I want updates on her status immediately as they become available. Oh, and Doctor…if she dies, I will personally execute you _myself_." His voice was low and deadly, and he watched the woman's eyes widen significantly before she nodded at him in fear, whispering a frightened _'Yes, General'_ before she finished putting on her scrub hat and disappeared into the bowels of the medical ward. His eyes watched her critically and almost with disgust, knowing that at one time he'd actually enjoyed being able to see such terror in his subordinate's eyes, but that feeling tainted by the only one who'd ever stood up to him, the very same person whose life was barely hanging on by a thread.

He made his way back to his quarters numbly, glad that he didn't have to pass by Captain Guerran's from the elevator he'd purposefully taken to avoid the one they'd just been in, which was probably currently being cleaned of her blood. He entered his rooms and went straight to the refresher, reflexively glancing at himself in the mirror as he usually did to ensure his hair was still in place, except this time his eyes settled on the drying streaks of crimson on his cheeks. The little strength he felt he had remaining left him and he gripped the sides of the sink tightly with his now-bare hands, using them to hold himself up as he stared down at the sink, the red that had seeped through and into the gloves onto his hands a stark contrast to the solid white material he was clutching. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself, shutting his eyes tight to keep himself from seeing the stains of her life-sustaining liquid on his fingers but regretting it immediately when reminder images flashed in his brain – of the trail on the elevator wall, of the puddle on the floor, of her body lying still in the midst of it all. Despite these images, there was one that gave him a tiny spark of hope deep in the heart he'd been pretty sure he'd lost to a black hole many years ago – the look on her face when she saw him, her lips turned up into a smile as her eyes still shone their bright aquamarine hue and, most of all, the tender caress that she gave him even as her strength was quickly draining from her body.

This thought sobered him and as easily as he felt his body failing him it returned with more vigor, obviously determined to keep himself together, if not for himself or the Order, then for her. He couldn't allow himself to be distracted now, not when she had a team of the best doctors on the _Supremacy_ working on her, and not when the Resistance was about to meet its untimely end. He mustered up a deep breath, washing his hands of most of the crimson on his hands while simultaneously realizing how hard it really was to get it off, never having needed to do such a thing until now. He splashed some water on his face and gently removed her blood from his cheek, drying his face on one of the colorless towels nearby before glancing at himself in the mirror, still seeing a ghost of a trace that it had been there before, but knowing nobody but he would know so. He exited the refresher and began hurriedly changing out of his bloodied uniform and into a pristine one, knowing he had to get back to the bridge as soon as possible before he missed any critical chances of completely overwhelming his foes.

* * *

The entire _Supremacy_ shook and groaned against the sudden weight and speed of the _Raddus_ crashing into one side of it, tearing straight through the fleet and taking out multiple areas and personnel with it. Hux braced himself, gripping the control panel before him and waited for the ship to stabilize before glancing quickly to one of the Officers nearby, barking out an order for the subordinate to inform him of what damage had been caused and what had been lost. He listened intently as he began the preparations to shift some key personnel back to the other _Resurgent_ -class battlecruisers, including himself back into command of the _Finalizer_. Even though the _Supremacy_ was still operational, it was in no shape to fight a battle and, much less, a war – he'd have to keep a skeleton crew on board to keep the ship from falling into the hands of pirates or scavengers, while the remaining resources were collected and moved from one ship to the rest of the fleet. He was brought out of his plans by the male Officer's words that sent a cold, creeping chill down his spine.

"—hangar bay, medical ward, Level 8 stormtr—"

"Which medical ward?" Hux interrupted, slowly turning to face the younger Officer and clasping his hands behind his back, keeping his face stoic even if inside, he was panicking.

"East, sir. All of the damage was on the east side of the ship."

He tried to remember exactly which sick bay he'd left her in, his thoughts currently too frantic and erratic with the current happenings of not only her but the ship, although a small voice in the back of his mind told him it'd been the West. He glanced briefly over to Sergeant Summers without so much as turning his head, and watched as she barely shook her head _No_ as if to tell him Ros hadn't been in the obliterated part of the ship. He released a quiet breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and swiveled on his feet towards the exit of the bridge, heading towards the Supreme Leader's chamber in order to tell him what had just happened – it was odd that he hadn't heard from him by now.

* * *

It was several hours later before he and the rest of the crew on Crait had pulled back once the remaining Resistance fleet had managed to escape. He'd already put in the word to switch some of the crew around and return the crews that had been pulled from each battlecruiser back to where they'd originally been stationed, but he knew there was still much more work to be done on the _Supremacy_ , especially now that Kylo Ren had announced himself Supreme Leader. This thought enraged him, not only for the man-child's gall at doing so but for what he'd done to _her_ , who still sat in the medical wing but was now finally out of surgery, according to the message from Dr. Lanith on his com. He strolled out of the bridge and took the nearest elevator to the correct level, noting that the Captain's blood had already been cleaned and sanitized from the walls and floor as he reached the sick bay. He entered it and amidst the commotion of injured crew being tended to and equipment trying to be salvaged, he was still saluted by the ones that could as he walked past them and to a section of the sick bay reserved for what could only be described as V.I.P.'s.

He entered the double doors and approached one of the only rooms that was occupied, stopping to look into the open windows to see a resting form on the bed with a familiar blonde clutching her hand and staring at her, wiping away the stray tear or two that she was trying not to shed. The back of Dr. Lanith was to the window, and she kept glancing between the attached vital monitors and the clipboard in her hand, scribbling down various notes before she suddenly hesitated and stopped, as if knowing she was being watched. The doctor glanced over her shoulder and saw the stern face of the General, which prompted her to whisper an _'I'll be back to check on her again in an hour'_ to the blonde who simply nodded but appeared too distraught to speak, making her way to the exit before moving to stand in front of said General. Without having to say another word, Hux stared her down in his usual stance, his body still facing the window but his head tilted to one side in the direction of Dr. Lanith.

"She's not breathing on her own just yet, but there's still hope. She did lose quite a bit of blood, though, but she pulled through the surgery without any catastrophes," She paused, pursing her lips together as if she was afraid of what his reaction would be to her next statement, "We'll be lucky if she makes it through the night."

Hux had turned back to the window, feeling a mix of desperation and frustration at her last sentence. He heard the audible squeak of protest his leather gloves gave against the tight grip his fists made behind his back, and could only think of two words to say that could possibly help in the situation he had no control over. "Bacta tank?"

Dr. Lanith gave a small nod and turned back to look at her patient through the window, wondering the significance the young woman had to the hardened General of the First Order, especially since he was wiling to go through such lengths and even use expensive treatments to save her. "That's a great option once she's stable enough. If she makes it through the night, we should be able to put her in one in the morning even if she's not breathing on her own just yet. I just need your approval, General."

Hux gave her a curt nod, noticing the doctor's movements out of his peripheral vision as she fetched a datapad and typed a few things into it. A few seconds later, she held the tablet out to him, watching as he peeled off his right glove and pressed his hand onto the smooth surface, approving the treatment without even having to speak. He broke his temporary bout of silence just as the doctor began to walk away, his eyes having shifted to his hand as he placed the black glove back onto it. "I want her moved to _Finalizer_ as soon as she's stable after the bacta treatment," He paused, flexing his fingers inside the glove, "As well as you and your top medical team assigned to her care. My warning from earlier still stands." He didn't bother looking at her as she audibly swallowed and walked away, instead taking a moment to gather himself before stepping into the room.

Leillea didn't chance to look up when the door opened, expecting it to be a doctor or nurse but finally glancing over when she spotted all black walking towards them. Her eyes widened when she saw the tall form of General Hux approaching and she stood up quickly, the chair screeching back in protest at her sudden move as she straightened herself up and wiped a few tears away, her eyes red and puffy from the past few hours. "General Hux," She managed to croak out, her throat dry as she cleared it and attempted to even her voice, "Thank you, sir. She wouldn't have made it without you."

Hux didn't reply nor bother to even look at her, choosing instead to set his eyes on the fragile form of the woman he'd spent one of the best nights of his life with, who'd shown him in her own way what it was like to truly feel alive again. He took in a sharp breath, noticing Summers' line of vision follow his own back to the brunette resting on the bed before speaking. "I need you to gather her belongings," He paused, feeling the blonde's head snap up to look back at him as if she was about to protest and say her friend wasn't even dead yet, "And have them moved to _Finalizer_ back into her quarters there. You and her squadron are also being moved back. Once she's out of the bacta tank tomorrow or the following day, she will be transferred to the medical wing there." He didn't wait for her response before turning and walking away towards the door, hearing the soft _'yes, sir'_ and _'thank you'_ being uttered behind him as he exited.

Leillea stood dumbfounded, slowly pulling the chair back so she could sit next to her friend's bed and looked at her. "I don't know how you did it, Ros, but you actually got the General of the First Order to actually care for someone other than himself," She smiled, squeezing her hand gently, "And none of us are giving up on you, you hear me?"

* * *

It had been a few days since the attack by the _Raddus_ , and Hux sat in his old _Finalizer_ office poring over the _Supremacy_ 's schematics to triple check that everything vital had been moved. He hadn't slept properly since spending the night with Captain Guerran, and he couldn't only blame her current condition for his lack of sleep – dealing with the aftermath of the Resistance, Kylo Ren, and having to reorganize the fleet was taking a harsh toll on his body and psyche. And so, after he finished his last cup of Tarine tea, he set the datapad and files down and decided to call it a night, knowing he had only a few more hours before he was due back on the bridge.

He exited his office and walked past the few doors to his quarters, freezing in place when he heard a soft, lullaby-like voice coming from behind the doors of a set of rooms that nobody should be in, especially when the person assigned to said rooms was down in the medical bay. There was nobody in the corridor besides a spare droid or two since it was so late, so he turned to face the durasteel doors, noticing the voice wasn't the one he remembered and, if anything, their singing was much better than the one he'd originally been entranced by so long ago, although it did nothing for him – if anything, it made him miss her all that much more.

Determined to find out what was going on and why someone would even be there, he pressed his ungloved hand to the access panel and heard the soft hiss of the doors just before they opened, the smell of woods-scented cleaning solution wafting into his nostrils. A flash of confusion crossed his face as he entered, the doors closing behind him and the music that the person was singing to flooding his ears, causing him to look in the direction of the voice and watching as the person responsible suddenly noticed his presence and stepped out of the open refresher, cleaning spray and cloth in hand.

"General Hux," Leillea uttered in surprise, setting the cleaning materials down on the sink behind her and crossing the living room to turn off the music before turning back to him with an embarrassed smile, "What can I do for you, sir?"

Hux eyed her almost suspiciously before stating the obvious to see what her answer would be. "These aren't your quarters, Sergeant."

Leillea gave him an awkward nod, placing her hands on her arms as she gave a brief glance around, "Yes, I know, I'm sorry sir. It's just…" she hesitated, hoping she wasn't going to sound like an idiot in front of her superior, "I'm just keeping it clean for Captain Guerran, is all."

Hux, still not fully comprehending, decided to point out the obvious once again. "We have cleaning droids for that, Sergeant."

Leillea pursed her lips contemplatively, trying to think of the best way to explain what she was doing as she rubbed the back of her neck, "Yes, sir, I know. But…may I?" She glanced over at one of the leather chairs asking his permission to sit, knowing he would probably say no but being pleasantly surprised when he gave her a small nod for her to continue and she did so, taking a seat. She let out a soft sigh, looking down at the caf table in front of her as if reminiscing, "Hopefully Ros doesn't find out I told you this, but…there's a lot of things she's always done for herself, despite being on a ship where droids or other people can do most of your work for you. She always cleans and cooks because she used to do it all the time when she was younger, with her family. She would help her mother clean the house and cook for everyone, it was just what they did, so she always does it to remind her of her old life, to keep pieces of it," She paused, letting out a soft laugh, "She's a great cook, too, and she always knows if an unrequested cleaning droid has been by somehow. So, I just wanted to keep the place clean for when she comes back, to help her feel better or something. I just can't sit around and do nothing for her even if it's out of my control."

Hux felt understanding coming from deep within his chest, but chose instead to keep it simple and formal – one person seeing him vulnerable had been more than enough, especially when that person had been the one to remind him he had feelings again. "Do you have enough supplies?"

Leillea, expecting to be reprimanded, blinked once or twice in surprise before responding, giving him a nod and standing up once more. "Yes, sir. She always swipes one or two from the janitorial closets when she's running low, so I think she has some extra I can use."

Hux allowed a ghost of a smile to grace his lips as he turned back toward the exit, the thought of the Captain stealing cleaning supplies being both comforting and not surprising at the same time. "Very well. Carry on," he replied authoritatively, exiting the rooms before heading for his own.

Lei watched him go, having noticed the way he smiled at her last statement before leaving, _"Well Ros, he either really likes you, or is really excited to get onto you for stealing supplies when you get better,"_ She thought, shaking her head slightly in hopes it was the former before heading back to turn the music back on, the rhythm of her best friends' favorite slow songs soothing her as she continued.

* * *

Hux sat hunched over his desk, various datapads strewn about as his eyes pored over the latest reports on the _Supremacy_ 's progress. He heard the door whoosh open and didn't bother looking up, his eyebrows furrowing at the intrusion since he hadn't asked anybody to stop by and it was very well past the time that his rotation had ended; everyone on his crew should be sleeping at this point. "This better be important, I'm _very busy_ ," He called out gruffly, eyes still glued to the screen as he heard the person enter, causing him to set the datapad down and close his eyes, rubbing his temples.

"I'm so sorry to bother you, _General_."

The silky, feminine reply came, causing Hux to freeze momentarily as he heard the slow, deliberate clicks on the floor as the person neared, his eyes opening suddenly as he snapped his head up to look in their direction. Directly across from him stood Ros, palms resting atop his desk as she leaned forward and gave him a clear view of her ample cleavage underneath the robe she wore, a smirk on her face as his jaw dropped as if he was looking at a ghost. "Captain Gue— _Ros_ , when did you wake up? When were you _released from the medical bay?!_ " He asked, half in alarm and the rest in anger at not being told she was awake, especially after giving specific instructions to be updated on her status at _least_ twice a day.

Ros let out a soft laugh, falling back into the chair behind her before leaning back, lifting her legs so she could cross her high-heeled feet on one corner of the desk. "I woke up early yesterday, and they released me a few hours ago after I passed my physical with flying colors – that bacta tank really did a spot on job, I feel better than I've had in years," She paused, waving her hand in the air as she continued, "Oh and don't go getting mad at the medical staff for not telling you I was awake or free to go…I told them not to."

Hux gaped at her as he scooted his chair back so he could stand, his face showing the blatant confusion her words caused that he was trying to comprehend, "But why?"

Ros didn't answer as she stood as well, walking around the desk and watching as he turned to face her, his eyes following her every movement as she moved to stand in front of him. "I knew you were busy," She began coyly, reaching her arms out and gently pushing him back to sit in his chair, moving so she was in between him and the desk, "I didn't want you to find out via com, since you probably wouldn't be able to come to the med bay with everything that's been going on anyway; that's how I knew you'd be here. I wanted to _show_ you I was okay," She continued, never breaking her gaze from his as she moved to straddle his lap, watching his eyes widen in surprise before it ebbed away to understanding as she reached up and gently ran her fingers through his perfectly placed hair, "But most importantly, I wanted to thank you for saving my life."

Hux looked at her, the awful image of her bleeding out in his arms as she touched his cheek briefly flickering in his mind and he took in a deep breath, placing his hands on either side of her waist as the two different shades of blue clashed while they looked at one another. "Kylo Ren will _pay_ for what he did to you," He uttered bitterly, his eyes flitting down to her chest as he noticed the small scar that remained from her endeavor, reaching up and gently tracing it with his thumb.

"Don't worry about him, I'll deal with him later," She replied, continuing when she saw he was about to protest, "I can't believe that tiny little thing is all that's left of what happened. I mean I knew bacta worked wonders, but you can hardly see it. You have to look for it to know it's there," She commented, giving him a smile when his eyes met hers again, "But really, Hux, thank you. You didn't have to do what you did, and I owe you my life."

He was about to tell her that he _had_ needed to, of the fear of losing her, of the rage overwhelming him when he'd watched what Kylo Ren had done, and of the fact that he'd almost broken down when she'd been in his arms, barely hanging on by a thread and the panic that had overcome him when he hadn't been able to do anything about it. He wasn't used to not being in control, and the images he'd seen plagued his dreams every night, turning them into horrible nightmares so vivid that he'd barely been able to sleep since the first night he'd left her in the hands of the surgeons. He didn't have time to tell her all this, however, as she leaned down to him, capturing his lips in a chaste kiss that he deepened when he pulled her towards him, feeling as her hands grabbed the collar of his jacket.

Ros ran her hands up the collar to his neck and finally behind his head, tangling her hands in his hair briefly as she pressed her body against his and felt the hardness under his pants, causing her to kiss him hungrily as she reached down and began to fumble with the buckle of his belt. She felt him untie her robe and sling it off her shoulders, letting it fall aside as she removed his uniform belt and jacket, whispering in his ear that she wasn't wearing any underwear underneath her negligee.

At this Hux growled, allowing her to open and lower his trousers enough to free him before she lowered herself onto him, the sweet heat of her sex coupled with the wetness of her readiness for him making them both groan in pleasure. He felt her begin to torturously slide up and down, the slow pace at which she teased him almost unbearable as he tried to hold himself together, her soft whines of delight driving him wild until he couldn't take it anymore. He took control as he held her hips firmly, standing up suddenly with her tightly wrapped around one arm as he used the other to shove the datapads and documents out of the way, ignoring the sounds they made as they hit the ground and he set her on his desk, quickening the pace they'd had before.

"Oh fuck, Hux," Ros cried out, one hand wrapped tightly around his shirt while the other pulled him to her, her legs wrapped firmly around his waist as they shared a passionate kiss in which they fought for dominance. His thrusts increased to a maddening pace as their bodies began to climb simultaneously, her lust-filled mewls causing his mind to fog with desire as she moaned against his lips, the fabric between her breasts and his chest wrinkling from their endeavor. They pulled back just enough to look at each other, staring at him through partly hooded lids as he nipped gently at her neck, moaning his name into his ear as he kept pushing himself in and out of her at a torturously slower rhythm than before.

He couldn't keep the slow pace for long however, as she felt too delicious and tight and he resumed his frenzy, her fingers digging into his back from the pleasure as he watched her face twist in delight. He could feel her body clenching around him as she came, his name the only word on her tongue as she did so and pushing him over the edge, the two of them letting out soft curses as their frames shook with the passion they'd just delivered each other. As the two panted for breath, he looked into her eyes and felt an overwhelming sense of relief, the truth that he'd fully prepared himself to never see her again lifting from his shoulders as she smiled wistfully at him. She reached a warm hand up to cup his cheek, reaching up to meet his lips with her own in a tender kiss, one which he dutifully returned and deepened before finally, unwittingly, peeling himself apart to look at her.


	11. Ghosts of the Past

Chapter 11

"Is everything set?"

"Yes, Captain Guerran. Officer Flynn's body was placed in a portable cryo-chamber immediately after his death as you requested, along with his personal belongings in a weather-proof box, and they have been placed aboard your TIE/vn down in the hangar bay along with the coordinates and supplies for your trip."

Ros gave the female resource officer a short nod, holding her helmet in one hand as she looped the thumb of the other into her armored vest. "Awesome, thanks. Did you have any issues?"

"No, Captain. In fact, the request passed through Colonel Kahn and even General Hux without me having to maneuver around any red tape. Since the General approved it, I didn't need to seek Supreme Leader Ren's permission for the chamber or your trip."

"Thank Kriff for small favors," Ros grumbled, earning a timid smile from the officer in front of her before she gently placed her hand on her desk, "You're the best! I owe you big time. You ever need anything at all, you come to me, okay?" Ros added, giving her a thumbs up and returning her smile before walking off towards the hangar bay on the opposite side of the hallway, blinking when she spotted her team waiting for her. "Hey guys, what's up?"

Lieutenant Stevens stepped forward and met her, glancing around to the rest of the crew before speaking, "Captain, are you sure you don't want any – or all – of us to go with you? We really don't mind, we all have personal time we can use for this. Right men?"

Ros offered them a thankful grin as the rest of the team agreed with Stevens, placing her free hand on her hip as she answered them. "I appreciate it, really guys. It won't be easy, but this is something I need to do alone, it's my responsibility as leader of this squadron. You guys save your personal time for when I come back, because we're going to the Cantina in Flynn's honor. At least three rounds of his favorite Corellian whiskey on me, one for every year he was on the squad. Deal?"

The men gave her a mixture of understanding smiles and laughs before she placed her hand on Stevens' shoulder and squeezed it, "I know this is the worst time for this but I need you, Vang, and Kyja to look over the potential recruits and each one of you pick who you think deserves a shot. From those three I'll pick one for a probationary period on the squad, all in all everything as we usually do it. I've been getting a lot of pressure from Kahn to fill the slot, but I've held him off for at least another few weeks and I'll be back in a week or so." She watched the three senior members of her squad nod in unison and answer in the affirmative as she set her arm back at her side, giving them a friendly wink before she resumed her walk to her ship, waving at her team once they wished her good luck and a safe trip.

* * *

"Hey Cap, how'd it go?"

Ros held her helmet under her arm as she descended the stairs, running her fingers through her hair as she came upon her squadron waiting patiently for her by her now-docked ship. She gave them a tired smile as she teetered on the verge of telling them the full or only half the truth and chose the latter, stopping her movements when she was in front of them. "Well," she began, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "It went as well as telling a set of parents their only son is dead could go…but they were thankful I brought him home so they could bury him," she paused, noticing the averted looks and saddened expressions on her men's faces, "Hey, look. Tonight is about honoring Flynn, he always told us if something ever happened to him to celebrate his life and get smashed, right? So that's what we're going to do. If he'd wanted his ashes to be shot out of a cannon into a black hole above SKB, I'd have done that, too. This isn't easy for any of us, but we'll deal with it together." She smiled when the resolution returned to her squad member's faces and she gave them a nod, heading back towards the exit, "I'll see you guys in a few hours!"

She exited the hangar bay, leaving her squadron behind as the smile fell from her lips, placing a hand over her mouth as she made her way to the nearest elevator that would take her to her quarters on bridge level. She entered the lift, closing her eyes and pressing her back against the wall as she recalled the bittersweet memories of meeting her fallen comrade's family on Montross.

 _There was a somber air about her as she lowered the ship onto a clearing in front of Cain Flynn's family home, the ship's thrusters causing the wind to pick up wildly until she landed and disengaged. She pressed the button that opened the top hatch of the ship, unhooking her life support line and removing her helmet before setting it next to her, pulling herself out of the cockpit with ease as she walked down to the spot nearest the ground and jumped off, landing with a soft 'thud' on her feet. She trotted to the storage area of the Silencer and pressed a smooth, square button well-hidden in the outer armor of the ship, watching as the ramp lowered with the cryo-chamber holding the Officer's body inside. She felt someone's eyes boring into the back of her skull as she placed Flynn's helmet under one arm as well as grabbing the tightly folded First Order flag off the top of the chamber, cradling it tightly in her hand as she made her way to the entrance of the quaint home. Once there, she knocked carefully on the door and heard the light shuffling of feet as an older, fair-skinned woman opened the door, looking at her with a mix of fear and concern._

" _May I help you?"_

" _Yes ma'am," Ros began, steeling herself as she continued, "Are you Cain Flynn's mother?"_

" _Yes, I am," the woman's eyes gave her the once over before she pulled the door open to let her inside, obviously recognizing her as some sort of First Order navy personnel, "Please come in."_

 _Ros thanked her and stepped inside, hearing the door close behind her as the woman offered her something to drink, which she graciously declined. The woman was joined by a dark-skinned man close to her age and another younger, attractive dark-skinned woman who was heavily pregnant. Ros glanced at the three of them before asking them if they wanted to take a seat, the look of apprehension in their faces palpable as the two women took her advice but the man chose to remain standing, just like she was, except moving himself to be behind the rest of the family's sitting positions on the couch._

" _Mrs. Flynn," Ros spoke to the older woman, taking a deep breath to try and keep herself together, "I'm so sorry to inform you but Officer Cain Flynn passed away," She paused, letting her words sink in as the mother looked distraught while the younger woman began cry hysterically, "I'm here to deliver his body and belongings to you. This was his," She continued, setting the double red-striped helmet down on the narrow caf table between them, "And this is for you." She held out the flag, which had Flynn's Alpha squadron and number patch resting atop it, between her black-gloved hands to the mother, who took it slowly as tears began to fall from her cheeks, the father simply holding his hand over his mouth in shock._

" _Who are you?" The mother managed to whisper, looking at Ros with a mixture of despair and disbelief in her eyes._

" _Captain Roselea Guerran, Alpha squadron leader. Officer Flynn was under my command."_

" _He was under YOUR command?!" The younger woman spoke up angrily, "Then shouldn't you have had his back?! Why are_ _ **you**_ _alive and not him?!" She added in a loud yell, forcing herself to stand as she glared at Ros through the tears in her eyes._

" _Mara, please," The father began, resting a hand on the younger woman's shoulder who simply shrugged it off._

" _No! It isn't fair! We just got married a year ago!" She shrieked, her body shaking from her powerful sobs, "And now our son won't have his FATHER!" She screamed, hurrying past the older male and disappearing deeper into the house, slamming the door behind her._

" _You'll have to forgive her…" The man reasoned, trying to explain her behavior even though Ros knew he didn't need to._

" _No, it's okay," Ros began, shaking her head and trying to swallow the knot in her throat, "I can understand. She's absolutely right, it_ _ **isn't**_ _fair. And believe me when I say I've gone over and over in my head so many times what I could or should have done different, but it unfortunately doesn't change the fact that he isn't here," She took a shaky breath, trying to steel herself once more so she wouldn't fall apart in front of this family, "I had his body dressed in his official blues and placed in a cryo-chamber so you can bury him whenever you are able. Don't worry about any cost, it's already been taken care of. I've got his belongings with me as well as his flight suit, he was really proud of it."_

" _Thank you," The older woman replied, looking at Ros appreciatively, "That is more than I've ever heard anyone do for a First Order member. Our friends have told us they've only barely received a holomail to inform them when a loved one passes away. We really do appreciate all you've done."_

" _It was the least I could do, ma'am. Officer Flynn was like family to me," Ros replied, giving her a small smile before continuing, "I'll place the chamber and his belongings wherever you'd like. Thank you for allowing me into your home, I only wish I could've met you all under different circumstances. I'm so sorry for your loss." Just as she began to head for the door, she heard the mother's voice call out to her to wait, causing her to stop and turn to face her. The woman placed the flag in front of her on the table and stood, walking to a different portion of the house and reappearing again after a few minutes._

" _I want you to have these," She began, placing a small envelope in Ros' hand and holding it in between her own, "My son talked a lot about his squadron and you, his leader. I believe you when you say he was like family, otherwise you wouldn't be here. You are a very special person, Captain, and please don't blame yourself. My son knew what he was getting into when he joined the First Order as a young boy. I'm just glad he had someone like you to depend on."_

" _Thank you, that means a lot," Ros replied softly, giving her a sad smile before taking the envelope and returning the woman's hug gently. She exited the home and, after handing the family his belongings and placing the chamber where they requested, she boarded her ship and exited Montross atmosphere, waiting until she was in hyperspace to open the envelope. Inside of it were various holos of Flynn and his family along with Flynn's First Order graduation ring, and she held them all between trembling fingers as she felt warm tears sting her cheeks, allowing herself to grieve for her comrade in the confines of deep space._

She was briefly jostled out of her memories when the elevator doors opened and she'd exited, said elevator being on the opposite end of the corridor as her quarters, and had continued recalling the experience until she froze mid-stride, hearing a certain voice behind the meeting room's doors that caused rage to flare in her veins. She pressed herself against the wall next to the entrance, trying to ensure the voice she'd heard was the one she was thinking of and, when she confirmed it was when it spoke again, she set her helmet down at her side and easily overrode the lock on the door. The room was dark save for the tall hologram of a planet on the large table the seven people were around, illuminating the dark room in a white and bluish tint and giving an eerie glow to the six sitting masked men, three on either side, and the one unmasked one that stood at the end giving instructions, the voice she was looking for belonging to him. All seven of them glanced over in surprise when she entered, crossing the short distance between her and Kylo Ren before he ever had a chance to speak and smirking at the look of genuine disbelief on his face, obviously having believed she was long dead.

"Miss me, asshole?" She asked him angrily in the last set of strides separating them, just as she used her right fist to give him a hard, rigid punch to his jaw that sent him stumbling backwards a few steps before he fell. He didn't have enough time to react before she descended on him just as he'd done her and she kicked his saber off his belt, sending it skittering to the side and hitting the wall opposite them with a loud sound that produced a hollow echo. She placed that same foot over his crotch warningly as she grabbed the front of his robes, pulling his face towards hers as she leaned over to be closer to him, noticing he was still reeling from not only the solid punch she'd given him, but the shock of seeing her and the entire situation currently happening to and before him. She heard the trademark hiss and hum of five lightsabers being ignited as the room was cast in blaringly red light and she pulled the blaster from her belt, pointing it in the direction of the six men as she turned to look at them, noticing only five of the six of them were standing and had their weapons ready to strike.

"Back the fuck off, this is between me and him," She warned, her eyes narrowing into a glare as she watched them glance between the two people in front of them before one by one they deactivated their weapons but remained standing, ready to strike should the need arise. She reholstered her blaster before turning back to Kylo Ren, who was staring at her with rage in his eyes but unable to move much since she had his crotch perfectly pinned between the sole and high heel of her boot, knowing he could try and use the Force to push her away but risking his family jewels in the process. She pulled him even closer to her face until their lips almost touched, using her free hand to grab his jaw and watching him wince as she dug her thumb into the side she'd punched, a line of blood trickling down the side of his mouth as she held his face still, reminding him of the way he'd done the same to her.

"If you _ever_ put your hands on me like that again, I will _personally_ cut off your micro dick in your sleep and shove it down your throat, you son of a bitch," She hissed menacingly, watching the look of pure hatred mixed with another feeling she couldn't quite place, yet looked oddly like lust, in his brown orbs before she released him by shoving him away, noticing that he caught himself with his hands before she turned, her heels clicking dangerously as she made her way towards the exit. She discerned the sound of the lightsaber being returned to his hand when he called it as well as him picking himself up off the floor, hearing the distorted voices of five of the six men speaking through their helmets behind her as she crossed the doorway.

" _Who the hell was_ _ **that**_ _?"_

" _ **Damn**_ _, she is smokin'."_

" _Do you really have a micro dick, boss?"_

" _Wow, she has got some_ _ **balls**_ _."_

" _Holy fuck, I think I'm in love…"_

She was halfway to her quarters when she realized Leillea had caught up to her, causing her to skid to a halt and look at her best friend, who was panting heavily and trying to regain her composure after having run all the way there from the bridge. "Lei? What's up?"

"What's _up_? What's UP?!" Leillea yelled, placing her hands on Ros' arms and giving her a few good shakes before stopping, "What's up is that I thought I was going to find you in _pieces_ , THAT's what's up! Are you crazy?! What the hell were you thinking, confronting Kylo Ren like that?"

"How did you even…oh, that's right," Ros mumbled, remembering Leillea's position as a security technician before her face sombered and she pulled away, resuming her walking with her friend trotting alongside her, "I'm sorry, Lei, but I can't just live with what he did to me and let him get away with it," She sighed, the two of them walking the remaining distance in silence until they reached her quarters and stepped inside, the door closing behind them.

"Look, Ros, I can get that. I can totally get that. But you can't just go around picking fights with Kylo Ren of all people, especially now that he's the Supreme Leader. Whatever he says goes, and there's nothing General Hux or I can do to stop that, not anymore."

Ros's face blanked as her cheeks turned a dark shade of pink, trying not to let her emotions betray her, "Who said anything about General Hux?"

Leillea rolled her eyes, placing a hand on her cocked hip before answering, "That's a conversation we'll save for later. For now, I have to get back to the bridge until the end of my rotation, but we're still on for drinks tonight with the guys, yes?"

"Yes, Kriff knows I need it," Ros replied, giving her friend a side smile before the two hugged, Lei urging her to be careful before the blonde exited and left the brunette alone in her quarters. She took in a deep breath, slumping down into one of the leather chairs and rubbing her temples slowly, "Fuck my life. Maybe I should've just let him think I was dead, although with my luck I probably would've ran into him sooner or later, might as well do it on my own terms," She grumbled, pausing when she heard a heavy knock on her door that she knew couldn't be Leillea.

"Oh what now?" She groaned, standing up and walking to her door as it whooshed open, her posture stiffening when she saw one of the men who'd just been in the room with Kylo Ren. Her reflexes automatically grabbed for her blaster and held it firmly between both hands as she walked through and past the doorway, watching as the man didn't bother to move as she took a couple of steps towards him. "What the fuck do you want?" She asked suspiciously, watching as he raised one gloved hand up slowly as if he was showing her he meant no harm, while his other held the helmet she'd forgotten behind tightly in his grasp. She briefly flitted her gaze between his helmet, which looked creepily too much like Darth Vader's, and her own, nodding to her right as she spoke to him, "Set it down over there."

He did so and she eyed his movements carefully, noticing the heavy composition of robes and armor along with Kriff-knows how many other things attached to his taller frame. "You're the one who didn't activate your lightsaber while I was in the room, aren't you?" She said quietly, her eyes narrowed as he simply gave her a small nod, "Speaking of lightsaber, hand it over unless we're done here. You'll have to excuse me if I don't trust you, your Commander-turned-Supreme-Leader ruined that for all of you poor bastards," She added bitterly, glancing between his mask and hand as he offered the weapon up to her. She removed her left hand from her blaster and snatched the saber from him, clipping it to her belt and glancing down to check it was secure when she suddenly felt a hand grab her right wrist, pulling her towards him as he turned her around, twisting her arm behind her and pinning her against the wall next to them.

"You still have much to learn, Ros."

She growled, kicking her leg out to the side and back to hook her boot behind his knee, pulling it forward sharply and causing him to lose balance and release her in the process. She spun around and lifted her leg up to kick him hard in the torso, sending him falling backwards into the corridor as she held the blaster aimed directly at his chest, removing the distance between them as she unclipped his lightsaber from her belt and ignited it, the soft hum reverberating off the hallway's walls as she kept her gun pointed at his chest while she held the tip of the saber just underneath his neck in warning, "Yeah, I don't think so, douchebag. Now tell me, who the _fuck_ are you?!"

" _Shit!_ Alright, alright, I give!" The man replied, watching as she kept both weapons trained on him but moved his sword away enough for him to be able to reach behind him to remove his helmet, the mask making a soft hiss as he unclipped the back of it and slowly began to remove it, hearing the hum of the lightsaber dissipate as she deactivated it.

Ros' arms lowered while the man completely removed the helmet, her hands seemingly forgetting how to work and dropping both weapons simultaneously at her sides when she saw his face, staring into a pair of aquamarine eyes that mirrored her own. She took a couple of steps back in astonishment as he stood, almost an entire foot taller than her, and ran his fingers through his short, dark brown hair, albeit a few shades lighter than her own. It was like she was staring at a darker-skinned, lighter-haired, male version of herself. "Ker…Kerick?"

"Hey, little sis," The older Guerran replied, giving her an embarrassed smile as the look of incredulity in her eyes remained, "I could've sworn I had you that time."

"What…the flying _fuck_?" She replied, her voice increasing its pitch while she stared at the brother that she hadn't seen in almost a decade as if he would simply vanish in front of her, "What are you doing here? And what the fuck are you wearing?!"

"I could ask you the same thing," He replied, crossing his arms in front of his broad chest and pursing his lips to the side, "But I, well, we – me and the rest of the knights – have been here as long as Kylo Ren has. After he destroyed the Jedi Temple, he took us six with him in exchange for not killing us or our families so long as we turned to the Dark Side. That's how he keeps us in line, so to speak."

"Wait a minute…you mean to tell me you've been here _longer_ than me? Do mom and dad even know you're here? Did _you_ know _I_ was here?!" Ros exclaimed, staring daggers at him as she waited for his answer.

Kerick shifted his weight uncomfortably between his feet, knowing he already didn't like the reaction she'd probably have to his answer, "Well yeah, I did, but—" He didn't have time to react before he felt the particular sting of a hard, well-placed slap on his cheek, completely tilting his head to one side and sending him staggering in the same direction, reaching a gloved hand up to cradle the throbbing flesh as he felt a tear prickle the edge of his eye. "FUCK, Ros! You didn't even let me finish!"

"What the hell could you possibly have to say to me that could make that okay?! You've known I was here the _whole time_ and you never even tried to talk to me, you fucking jerk!" Ros yelled, waving her arms in the air for emphasis as she watched him glance around at the few people in the corridor looking at them, one of which was the approaching General Hux, obviously having heard the commotion from the bridge not too far away from them.

"Ros, just let me explain," Kerick began, turning the both of them so that his back was facing Hux whereas Ros could see him coming, and using his hands to try and urge her to lower her voice as he continued, "I didn't come talk to you or see you because I couldn't risk the Commander or Snoke finding out about who you were. I didn't want to risk the possibility of putting a target on your back," He explained hurriedly, his voice quiet in hopes the General couldn't hear as he descended on them, "I knew he could use you as leverage, and I couldn't put you in danger. Although…you kind of seem to have done a good job of that yourself…"

"Oh, _fuck_ you, Kerick!" Ros replied, shoving her finger into her brother's chest before he bent over and grabbed his helmet, "Your darling _Commander_ or, I'm sorry, _Supreme Leader_ tried to kill me! Did you know that?!" She continued furiously, noticing her brother quickly put his mask back on before the General had reached them, obviously trying to keep him from seeing his face as he began to walk away. "Where the hell are you going? We're not done here!" She shouted, General Hux arriving just as her brother tried to distance the space between them, making her even more irate than she already was. She reached down and grabbed Kerick's lightsaber as he continued on, not noticing Hux's eyes widen and mouth drop when she threw it at the domineering figure in all black, hitting the back of his helmet with a loud ' _thud_ ' and clattering to the ground as he froze in place. "You forgot something, you dick!" She yelled out, watching as he neither turned or moved but instead, simply opened his hand and called his weapon to him, gripping it firmly in his hand before he clipped it to his belt and continued to walk away.

Hux waited a few beats before turning to her, his composure regained and regal as he stood before the fuming brunette in front of him. "Captain Guerran," He began, trying to meet her gaze but unable to due to the fact that she kept glaring in the receding Knight's direction, "Do you… _know_ that man?"

Ros took a sharp breath, her hands curled into fists as she answered him, her beautiful face scrunched up with irritation and resentment. "No," She answered firmly, turning suddenly and meeting her eyes with Hux's briefly before she walked towards the now-opened doors of her quarters, "Not anymore."


	12. Deal With The Devil

Chapter 12

 **A/N: Thank you all for being patient! I've got more chapters written, they just need to be proofread by yours truly, lol.**

 **Sam0728: I _know_ , right? We'll definitely be seeing more of him in the upcoming chapters, and some insight into their sibling bond. I hope you like it! :)**

* * *

By the time Leillea reached Ros' room to finish getting ready, she walked into a familiar scene she'd only seen once before, except this time Ros wasn't standing covered in a teammate's blood or drinking Whyren's Reserve. No, she was sitting and dressed in a pleated black skirt and a navy blue, dressy button-down blouse, her matching-colored heels crossed at the ankle atop the caf table in front of her. She had a glass of red liquid in one hand, the bottle sitting on the table between the two lounge chairs having been more than half depleted as the brunette looked at her with eyes that spoke volumes about how she was feeling inside, despite how well she thought she might be hiding it.

"About damn time," The older of the two murmured, her speech slower than usual due to the obvious impairment she was already under.

"Ros…what happened?" Leillea questioned, taking a few steps towards her, "You never drink before we go…this isn't about Kylo Ren, is it?"

Ros managed to sputter out a laugh, waving her hand dismissively at her blonde friend, "Him? Oh no. This is much more fucked up than that."

"You know we don't have to go tonight. The guys will understand. We can stay and talk if you want."

"Fuck that," Ros replied, moving her feet off the table and setting them on the floor, "We're _going_. This is for us…all of us. I'm not the only one who lost a comrade," She replied, leaning forward in the chair and staring down at the glass in her hands, "But I know you won't let me leave until I've told you, so I'll make you a deal. How about I talk and you finish getting ready while I do so. Sound good?"

Leillea gave her a somber nod, knowing this was the best she was gonna get from her, especially in her state. She opened the refresher door, setting down her bag of cosmetics on the large counter space as she began her usual routine, "I'm all ears."

Ros pursed her lips to the side, taking in a deep breath as she decided where to begin with everything she'd dealt with that day. She took a large swig of her drink, finishing the rest in the glass and beginning to speak as she poured herself another, "He had a wife, you know. Flynn," She stated somberly, running her fingers through her hair before she leaned her head back to look at the ceiling, "They were about to have a son, probably in the next month or so. I didn't even know," She added, leaning her head down enough to take a sip before letting out a sigh.

"Cain was always the most private out of all the guys," Leillea replied, glancing at Ros from her peripheral vision, "I doubt you were the only one that didn't know. I'm sure if you ask the guys, they probably didn't know either."

"No, I can't tell them," Ros replied, placing her elbow on the arm of the chair and cupping her cheek in her hand, "He probably didn't want us to know for a reason, a selfless one knowing him. Most likely he knew that if something were to happen to him in this war, it'd be that much more difficult if we knew he had a family, he was a good guy like that." She sighed, bringing the glass to her lips just before she spoke again, "They don't need this burden. It rests solely on my shoulders. His wife blamed me for his death."

"Ros, you can't believe that. I'm sure she was just saying that in her grief."

"But she was right," Ros countered, taking a large swig and shaking her head after doing so, "She asked me why I didn't have his back. Why it was him and not me. I've been asking that myself every day," She added, swirling the liquid inside the glass as she spoke, "If you really think about it, it's so fucked up. He had parents he constantly kept in contact with. A wife he loved and who loved him. He was about to have a child, for fuck's sake!" She didn't feel as sad as she did angry anymore, her contempt showing in the words she was speaking, "And then there's me…I'm too brash, too cynical, too angry, too everything. I can't talk to my parents, and even if I could I probably wouldn't so I wouldn't put them in danger. I'm not married, I don't have kids. I would've been the perfect person to not leave anyone behind."

Leillea stepped out of the bathroom, finished with her makeup and stepping in front of Ros with her hands on her hips, "You don't really believe that, do you? You'd be leaving a lot of people behind who loved you. I love you, your family loves you, and your squadron especially loves you. When you were in the infirmary you weren't alone a single minute," She explained, walking to her friend and setting her hand on her shoulder as the latter took another sip, "And it wasn't just me there. All of them were, the guys even took turns staying with you so in case you woke up you wouldn't be alone. Even General Hux showed up before any of your team found out."

Ros sighed, placing her hand on her forehead as she nodded, "Yeah, I know…you're right. I just can't help feeling so guilty all the time," She continued, motioning for Leillea to go ahead and change as she spoke, "I'm not going to do anything stupid, you don't have to worry about that. It's just hard. I don't know why I ever thought I should join this war, even when I was planning on being with the Resistance. War always has casualties, and almost always you're going to lose someone you care about. I was young and dumb I guess," She muttered, reaching forward to grab the envelope she'd set on the table before her, "His mother gave me pictures of him and all of them together. He was an only child…" her voice trailed off as Leillea emerged from her bedroom with two sets of clothes. Ros picked a top and shorts for her as her eyebrows furrowed, her face twisting in anger as she remembered something, "Speaking of only child, sometimes I wish I fucking was one."

"What do you mean? You love your brothers," Lei replied in confusion, changing into the outfit as she eyed her friend warily.

"Yeah well, I only love three of them right now," She spat, taking a large swig of the liquid and leaving only enough for another one in the glass, "Fucking Kerick has been here on this ship _the whole time_."

"What?! Are you serious?!"

"Oh but wait, it gets better. He _knew_ I was here, too! He apparently couldn't be bothered to come talk to me or alert me to his glorious presence," Ros spoke sarcastically, turning in her seat to face Lei who stood flabbergasted before her, "He only did after I punched Kylo Ren in the face in front of him. Oh yeah, did I mention my older brother is a fucking _Knight of Ren_?!"

"Oh…oh Kriff. It all makes much more sense now," Leillea replied, a lost look on her face as she stared at the wall behind her friend.

"What does?"

"When you were out in the sick bay, there was this guy who would come every night, late at night, to see you. He tried to keep from being seen but I pretended I was asleep so I could try and get even a brief glimpse of who he was, I could usually only feel him watching from outside the glass," She continued, slipping on her shoes as she did so, "But I recognized he was a Knight from what he wore. I figured Kylo Ren had sent him to keep tabs on you or something, which is why I was confused when I saw the look on the Supreme Leader's face when he saw you earlier today. I thought he already knew you'd survived, I guess he just assumed you didn't."

"Ugh, please don't call him Supreme Leader," Ros groaned, gulping down the last of her drink and standing up suddenly, the room spinning a bit as she tried to steel herself. She finally did so after a couple of seconds and took a few steps towards Leillea, managing not to stumble even though her whole body was warm and fuzzy from the alcohol.

"That's who he is now, though, whether we like it or not."

"As if he needs any more titles or reasons for his ego to be inflated," Ros replied, walking in her slightly-lower-than-usual high heels with a touch less poise than usual towards the exit, "At least when he was Commander I didn't really have to answer to him."

* * *

The pair made it into the cantina and to their usual tables a little later than normal, due to Ros slowed, not yet quite-heavily impaired state. Her men were waiting with drinks already in their hands, all of them having had a similar idea as Ros and begun drinking before even leaving their quarters, the two that had shared the barracks with Flynn obviously more drunk than the others. She knew they usually all met up if they were going to drink before getting to the cantina, but tradition must've been broken when those same two started before anyone else. She asked Leillea to ask the bartender for three rounds of the Corellian whiskey Flynn had always been so fond of, usually being the one who grabbed the drinks herself but not wanting to be asked any questions as to why they were seemingly celebrating. She waited until Lei had returned with a full tray and the shots had been passed out to each crewmember before she slipped something off her thumb and set it in the middle of all of them at the table, causing the men to look at it questioningly before back up at her – she shouldn't have one of those.

"It's Flynn's Skystrike graduation ring," Ros explained, obviously referring to the Academy that trained the most elite pilots the First Order had to offer, "His mother gave it to me."

"We've all got one of those, Cap," Her Lieutenant replied with a grin before continuing, "Except you, of course. Apparently you're too badass for that."

Ros gave him a soft smile as she looked from him to the ring, "I do now," she replied, her voice laced with sadness as she spoke, "He's here in spirit, and this ring is the center of it. After these three rounds, can you hang on to it for me? I don't have any pockets—"

"Say no more, Cap. I'll give it back to you at the next rotation," Stevens replied, holding up a hand before reaching for one of his shots.

Ros gave him a thankful grin before taking his motion as her cue, raising her own shot glass in the air, "To Officer Cain Flynn – he was one of the best pilots this galaxy's ever known." Her men replied in a chorus of 'Hoo-ah' before they all, including Leillea, downed the shots and slammed them on the table, careful not to break them before her Lieutenant raised the next one with his own toast.

The night continued in this way for all of them, each of them having bought a round of the whiskey every half hour, and sharing a short story on Flynn before drinking until they could barely stand. Leillea was the soberest one of all of them, and although she still felt pretty tipsy she couldn't help but keep an eye on her friend on the dance floor as she herself danced with Lieutenant Stevens. Ros was dancing by herself near a man Lei vaguely recognized as one of the Captains on the bridge, although at this distance and with her somewhat blurry vision she couldn't say for sure. When the music had changed from fast to slow, she felt her small body being pressed against the taller Lieutenant's frame and she met his light brown eyes with her blue ones, feeling her cheeks get hotter when he leaned down to kiss her heatedly on the lips. The liquid flowing through her veins must've given them both courage because she tossed her usual shyness aside and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him to her and deepening the kiss she'd been waiting for for a long time. They remained this way until the song ended and another fast one started, causing the two to separate and look at each other while trying to catch their breath, each of them looking to the other for confirmation that this had just happened.

When her senses returned to her she glanced to the side to see if Ros was still there, not worrying at first when she wasn't but her concern growing when she couldn't see her anywhere nearby or at their table. She heard Tanner ask her what was wrong and she told him, ignoring his reassurance that Ros was probably fine when her gut feeling told her she wasn't – her best friend never did anything like this, even in her most drunken state Ros would have someone she knew very well take her to her rooms or she'd sit at the table and wait for Leillea to finish dancing with Tanner or whatever she was doing at the moment. When the Lieutenant noticed the look on her face he offered to help her search to make her feel better, the two of them coming up empty after combing the entire cantina and causing an uneasy feeling to linger in the pit of her stomach. She apologized to him and left, she knew he'd understand why even if he didn't like it at that very moment. After a while she'd made it to Ros's quarters and punched in the code to get in, fully hoping her friend was in there but the sense of dread growing when she wasn't. She rushed and checked each room to be sure she wasn't just passed out somewhere, and when she was she grabbed for one of the datapads on the desk and logged in quickly, pulling up the security feeds and hoping all her worry was for naught and Ros had, just this once, gone to share a bed with someone, even if that wasn't her usual MO. She found the cameras she wanted and followed her best friend's movements, gasping at what she was seeing and an overwhelming feeling of terror overcoming her when she saw what happened next. She didn't stop to think as her feet moved on their own, exiting the lavish quarters and heading down the corridor to the only person she could think of that could help.

* * *

Ros' vision was blurry as she felt herself being unceremoniously tossed onto a bed, causing her to let out a soft yelp as her body hit the mattress. She felt more sober than she probably was, scooting to the edge of the bed and sliding off it, her steps slightly wobbly when she got to her feet. She heard footsteps approaching and she rushed to exit the bedroom, breezing past the taller form in black who whirled around and descended upon her just after she reached the exit, pinning her against the wall outside the bedroom and giving her a clear view of the steel doors that stood between her and the corridor outside. She struggled against his grip, feeling as he pinned her wrists on either side of her and she let out an angry huff, stilling enough to glare straight at him. "Let me go, you dick!"

"Is that what you thought he was going to do?! Let you go just because you told him ' _no'_?!" The furious voice of Kylo Ren answered, staring back into her cyan orbs with a look of pure anger at her stupidity.

"And why the fuck do you care? I didn't need your help!" Ros yelled back, her eyes narrowing as she watched him with disdain, noticing the bruise that was beginning to form on his jaw from their skirmish earlier.

"It sure didn't look that way to me. He was halfway through dragging you into his quarters when I stepped in. He didn't seem too deterred by you trying to push him away every time he tried to kiss you – maybe you shouldn't drink this much, _Captain_."

"That's right, _tried_. He _tried_. I had it under control!" Ros muttered, turning her face away from his and looking off to the side, "What the hell do you want from me? If you want revenge for what I did earlier, here's your chance to kill me, _really_ kill me this time."

Kylo Ren merely let out an amused chuckle before answering, "What I want cannot easily be expressed in words," He uttered lowly, a smirk on his lips as he continued, "You know, on second thought, you should impair yourself like this more often," He uttered quietly, watching the brunette turn back to look at him in confusion, "It makes it that much easier to gain access to your mind." He released her wrists and placed his hands on either side of her head, watching as her eyes shut tight when he began to pry the information out of her. She was attempting to keep him out of the deeper confines of her memories by putting up the mental barriers she'd learned many years ago as she typically did, their usual strength obviously profoundly weakened by her state as he attempted to coax them out with a type of gentleness he never used. He completely bypassed the day's memories, expecting only to see the cantina and himself within them and not truly caring about either, considering one he'd been there to personally witness. He found the memories of her recent trip, slowing down to watch them as they unfolded before him and seemingly confused by the way she'd handled the entire situation, unsure as to why she'd feel the need to personally deliver the news of her fallen squad member. He was about to plunge deeper when he heard the tell-tale hiss and whoosh of the doors opening, causing him to turn his head and look in the direction of who'd overridden his lock with a look that spoke pure ire in his eyes.

* * *

Hux had barely recognized the knock on his door when he heard it, looking up from the datapads he'd been studying while his eyes had tried not to glaze over. He murmured a _'Come in'_ and looked up when the person entered, half hoping and expecting it to be Ros again but blinking twice when he saw it was her best friend, and definitely out of uniform at that. He straightened his back up when he noticed the look of panic on her face, getting an uneasy feeling at the pit of his stomach as she barged forward, datapad in hand.

"General Hux, I'm so sorry to bother you at this late hour," Leillea began, tears prickling at the edges of her eyes as she handed him the datapad she clutched in her hands, "But I didn't know where else to go and who could help. I can't find Ros – Captain Guerran – and I remembered you helped her before and I hope I'm not too out of line—"

"What is it, Sergeant?" Hux interrupted, keeping his face composed as he took the datapad and gave her his most stoic look of concern. He watched her lean over touch the screen, looking down at it and watching the feed from earlier that night and feeling his cold exterior begin to melt in fear at what he saw. He watched as one of his higher-level officers held a very uncomfortable-looking Ros – who kept arguing that she didn't need help walking to her rooms – close to his body, noticing when she began to protest that they'd passed her quarters and continued to try and pry herself from his grip. When they reached his own rooms a few doors down the hall he released one arm from her to place a palm on the control panel, watching the doors open just in time for her to try and storm away, causing him to grab her wrist and pull her close to him. He was whispering something in her ear when he began to try and kiss her neck, ignoring her futile pushes on his chest as she got more agitated and angry when another form, one Hux certainly didn't expect, stepped into the picture and without missing a beat held his arm out in the male Captain's direction. Opan was flung into his room with a single flick of Ren's wrist and Ros stumbled back in surprise when she was suddenly let go, the latter being easily caught by the newly crowned Supreme Leader before he picked her up swiftly, throwing her over his shoulder like a sack of protatoes and carrying her to his room. She struggled against him and yelled curses as he made the few strides to his quarters, her movements slow and sloppy and so characteristically unlike her but he held her firm until the two passed the threshold of the entrance to his quarters and disappeared into the privacy of his suite.

Hux swallowed slowly, noticing the timestamp on the security camera before he tossed the datapad onto the pile on his desk and stood, heading towards the exit of his office with the blonde Sergeant following at his heels. He all but ran to Ren's quarters, hoping the male had been too distracted and forgotten to lock his door with the Force as he entered his override code, knowing he didn't have the time to spare to knock. The doors opened too slow for his taste and he spotted the black-clad form of Kylo Ren to his right, Ros' smaller body stuck between him and the wall as he held her head in between his hands. Her eyes were shut tight as Hux entered one of the only places on this ship that he wasn't allowed to go, and he was so trained on her that he didn't expect the sudden, abrupt energy that threw him easily from the room and against the wall of the corridor, knocking the wind from his lungs and causing a trail of blood to spill down his temple from the impact. He managed to catch himself as he slid down, planting his feet on the floor and looking up at the approaching form of his Supreme Leader, the expression on his face spelling murder for having been interrupted.

"You _dare_?!" Kylo Ren roared, grabbing Hux by the collar and throwing him against the opposite wall as if he weighed nothing, obviously having assistance from the Force as he did so, "How dare you think you can enter _my_ quarters at your own behest!" He snarled, his voice thundering through the hallway but knowing no one would be stupid enough to try to intervene.

"Let her go, Ren. She is nothing to you," Hux growled, his body complaining against the broken bones he probably had at this point but attempting to stand anyway, various visible cuts on his face bleeding from the endeavor. He'd managed to move to one knee instead of on all fours, knowing this was a fight he couldn't win but his pride and feelings for the stunning Captain being too much to ignore.

"You have the gall to tell _your_ Supreme Leader what to do?" Ren retorted lowly, a calm, brooding darkness lacing his words as he held one arm out to the red-head who hadn't quite managed to stand and began to choke him, sliding his body up against the wall as he did so. "And I thought you were intelligent, Hux. Far too intelligent for _this_. But I'll be happy to end your pathetic existence if that is your wish," He added, a sinister smirk on his face as he reached his other hand out and called his lightsaber to it, igniting it and basking in the red glow that it cast upon him and his surroundings.

Ros had almost blacked out from Ren's forceful prodding, falling to her knees when he let her go and trying to shake herself out of the stupor. She scrambled to stand with Leillea's help, the latter watching in horror as their Supreme Leader beat their General to a bloody mess, and causing Ros to gasp when she was finally able to focus and see what was happening right before her eyes, this situation sobering her up even more than the earlier one. She felt the adrenaline kick in and race through her veins, her feet moving on their own regard as she rushed to stand between Hux and Ren, the angry Supreme Leader faltering long enough by her motion to drop Hux into a heap behind her and freeze his blade just before it sliced clean through her, albeit it was aimed for him.

"Wait!" Ros called out, holding her arms out at her sides and taking deep breaths to calm herself as much as she could, "This is between you and me. Not him, not her, you and me, remember?" She paused, watching as he lowered his weapon but still didn't deactivate it, obviously waiting for the moment she stepped aside to shove it into Hux's throat, "Whatever it is you want from me, I'll give it to you. You can have it, okay? Just…don't hurt him, you've already done more than enough. Let them go…please." She kept her eyes squarely trained on his, a hint of dread beginning to nag at her when she noticed the small smirk that widened as she spoke, his blade retracting before he attached the hilt at his side and straightened up, "Do we have a deal?"

"We have a deal," Kylo Ren replied smugly, an evil glint in his eyes that matched his mirth from this situation having turned out better than he'd hoped. He slowly stepped up to her, her arms back at her sides as the air of confidence she usually wore returned in full when she didn't look away from him, "It won't be tonight, but soon. I will _find you_." The way he said this made her eyes narrow, a malicious chuckle escaping his lips as he walked past her and into his quarters, ready to plot exactly what he wanted from this bargain.

Ros let out a hard breath when the doors closed behind him, whirling around to see Hux barely standing against the wall, a reluctant Leillea not helping him at his request. She walked up to him and parted her lips to speak, the words caught in her throat when she met his eyes and noticed the look of anger and contempt in them, gently reaching out to him and feeling more than hurt when he pushed her hand away. "I'm sorry, Hux. You shouldn't have had to do that. You shouldn't have ever been in this situation…"

"I put myself in this situation," He began bitterly, managing to stand although the pain was obvious in his face, "I came here of my own accord, willingly. I didn't need your help, I didn't need you to save me," He said the last couple of words with disgust, his pride obviously wounded at both not being able to protect the woman he cared about and at having said woman come to his rescue. He was supposed to be the one doing the rescuing, not the other way around, and even though he knew the younger Captain was fully able to take care of herself, this had been a particularly vulnerable situation for her where he felt he could be of some use; but sure enough, she'd ended up trading her freedom, life, or whatever else Kylo Ren's twisted mind could plot to take from her. And it was all his fault.

He noticed the mixture of regret, sadness, and apology in her eyes as he began to walk away, knowing it would take longer without their help but his ego being much too wounded to accept any, especially one of them being the object of his affection. He could feel their eyes watching him as he made towards the elevator, being smart enough to know that the beating he'd taken would need professional help instead of his usual self-care and liquor to dull the pain.

Ros parted her lips to speak and started to go after him, feeling a gentle tug on her wrist that caused her to turn and look at her friend, who simply shook her head no. She bit her lip nervously before giving a small nod, knowing he probably wanted some time alone while he was getting fixed up. "You know I want to be mad at you, but I can't," Ros whispered, looking at her friend once Hux had made it to the elevator and seeing the woeful look on her face, "You were just trying to help…I would've done the same thing, even if it ended up killing me in the process. Although I have a bad feeling this will take a lot of mending on my part to fix, even if I thought I was doing the right thing."

Leillea looked at her contemplatively, the two of them beginning their walk back to Ros's quarters, "You really do have feelings for him…don't you?" She asked quietly, knowing full well her best friend hardly apologized and was even less willing to admit when she was wrong, mainly because she usually thought she did or said the right thing and stuck to it, regardless of the consequences. Ros was headstrong, stubborn, and anything else anyone could throw at her but if there was one thing you could never fault her for was caring too much about the people that mattered to her.

"Lei, there is too much alcohol in my system for me to properly answer that right now," Ros replied, pressing her eyes with her fingers as the two entered her room and plopped down on the chairs.

"Drunk words speak sober truths," Leillea retorted, using a line Ros had used on her a long time ago when she'd first told her how she had a crush on Lieutenant Stevens, of course after a night when Lei had really had a little too much to drink.

"Shut up," Ros replied, managing to stifle a laugh as turned back to face her, "Look, don't worry about me. I'm okay, just go back to your room and get some sleep. Please?"

Lei stood with a sigh and gave Ros' shoulder a gentle squeeze, "Alright, but only if you do the same," She smiled, walking towards the door as Ros gave her a small wave and watched her leave.

Ros sat for a moment, turning the idea of going to see him over and over in her head until she felt she was literally going crazy. She exhaled an exasperated breath before heading towards the exit and to the elevator down to the infirmary, rushing through the doors when she arrived. She saw the woman who'd been her nurse working, and she asked her if she could see the General, the woman objecting at first as she was under direct orders from him to not let anyone do so until Ros pleaded with her that she just wanted to make sure he was okay. The woman, although uncomfortable originally eventually gave in, taking Ros to a room behind a set of durasteel doors and showing her the bacta tank the resting General was currently in. She informed Ros that General Hux would only be inside a couple of more hours before he was back to full health, and asked her if she wanted her to let her know when he was out, to which Ros nodded and told her that she'd keep the secret that the nurse had bent the rules for her between the two of them.

After the nurse left, she exited the tank room and went into a secluded waiting area, staring at the wall as she tried to figure out what she could say to him to fix things. She wasn't used to this, of having feelings for someone and actually caring what they thought and felt about her, and even though her heart was in the right place when she struck the deal with Kylo Ren, she couldn't help but wonder if she'd done more harm than good with Hux and put herself in a worse position than she'd been in in the first place. She could feel herself sobering up and let out a curse under her breath, berating herself for having been so stupid as to get so drunk in the first place, it was too much unlike her to do such a thing. She sat there going through possible scenarios in her head about how the conversation could or would go, trying to find the least damaging one possible and too stuck in her thoughts to notice when the nurse stepped in and placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up before being informed that he was out of the tank and in the room next door. Ros murmured a quiet thanks as she headed for the exit, taking a deep breath to steady herself before gently pushing open the steel door and letting it close behind her as she took a few steps forward.

Hux stood shirtless with his back to her, his otherwise pristine uniform shirt in his hands that he'd paused putting on when he heard someone enter. He was already wearing his pants and boots, but he stood motionless in front of the bed in the room that currently housed his jacket resting on one end. "What do you want?" He asked angrily, recognizing the usual clicks of her heels as she entered and walked towards him before he resumed putting on his shirt.

"Hux, I…" She paused, reaching an unsteady hand to gently touch his arm in an effort to get him to look at her. She didn't expect his reaction, however, when he grabbed her wrist and roughly pulled her forward, throwing her onto the bed in front of him. "Ow, what the fuck?" She muffled onto the pillow, raising herself to her hands and knees and letting out a surprised gasp when she felt him grab her waist and pull her towards him. She felt his hands throw the fabric of her pleated skirt out of the way before he used one of them to shove her underwear to the side, using two fingers of the other to enter her and causing her to let out a quiet groan.

"You don't listen, do you?" He growled, her whimpers making him increase his speed, "Look at you, you were already so wet," He added gruffly, reaching forward and pulling on her shirt to make her kneel so that her back was against his chest, "Tell me, who was it?" He asked heatedly, placing his free hand on her throat and pushing her chin up to make her head rest back on his shoulder so he could whisper in her ear, "Was it me or Kylo Ren that made you this slick with desire?"

Ros felt her body climbing, the furious way he handled her only serving to amp it up even more, "You, Hux," She moaned, "It's always you." Just before she climaxed he pulled his fingers out of her suddenly, causing her to groan in protest and open her eyes before he continued with his barrage of questions.

"Why were you with Opan?" Hux hissed into her ear, teasing her nub through the fabric of her panties as he felt her melt under his touch.

"Who?" Ros asked deliriously, her breath hitching at every single one of his touches as he held her possessively close.

" _Captain Opan_ ," Hux replied angrily, "Now be a good girl and tell me and I'll let you come."

Ros felt his hot breath on her neck as he spoke, the taboo of what they were doing and where causing her to be even more aroused than usual, "He insisted on walking me back. I told him I didn't need help but he wouldn't let me go. I realized too late his intentions," She answered softly, suddenly feeling his hand at her back as he pushed her forward to be on her hands and knees again. She was about to glance over to look at him when he shoved himself to his full length inside of her, causing her to grip the sheets tightly and throw her head back in delight, a loud curse escaping her mouth at how amazing he felt.

Hux let out a guttural groan at the feeling, taking a moment to drink it in and steady himself before he began pumping in and out of her furiously, keeping a tight hold on her hips. He felt her walls clench around him as she came, her pleasure-filled mewls filling his ears while he allowed himself to draw out a few more thrusts before he peaked and emptied himself inside her, throwing his head back in resolute victory. Panting for breath, he pulled back and glanced at her trembling form, her body shaking from the aftermath of her orgasm as he pushed himself back into his pants and zipped them before grabbing his jacket and exiting the room.

Ros heard him exit and slowly climbed off the bed, turning around and gripping the edge of it to steady her spent body. Winded, she took a few deep breaths and ran her hand through her hair, removing locks of it off her face as she looked in the direction of the exit before lifting her face to stare at the ceiling. "Yeah, he's definitely still mad."


	13. What's Yours is Mine

**A/N: Thanks for waiting for this chapter so long, guys. I have more written, just need to proofread them as usual. Also, thanks to LunarRise for your lovely review! Your comments made me blush with pride, lol. Hope you enjoy the rest! :)**

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Chapter 13

The hallway was completely empty on her way back to her quarters, her black heels making soft, resolute clicks that grew louder and echoed in the wide space around her. It'd been over a month since Ros had last spoken with Hux after he stormed out of the infirmary, the few times in-between when they'd come across each other always ending up the same way: with him ignoring her and storming past, and with her rolling her eyes and noticing how shitty he looked and how he reeked of booze. She found herself wondering how much time and space she should give him before trying to talk to him and explain herself; _Really_ talk to him, not that somewhat wordless angry sex session they'd had, although she had to admit…that _had_ been pretty hot.

She made it to the doors and waited for them to open before she stepped inside, setting the datapad, com, and files she carried onto the caf table before heading towards the refresher and catching a glimpse of her reflection in the full-length mirror to her left. She was wearing her formal uniform, the hat that looked identical to Hux's sitting atop her hair that she'd pulled back into a neat bun, more for practicality and to keep it out of her way than for following the rules. She was wearing a pair of non-standard-issue high heels, the usual ones being much shorter than the ones she was sporting, and her tanned legs bare up to just below her knees, where the hem of the tight silver-colored pencil skirt was loose just enough to allow her to walk properly without restricting her movement too much. She was wearing the black, button down blouse tucked in to her skirt underneath the light grey jacket, bearing the mandatory code cylinders in the front as well as her Captain rank insignia and First Order logo embroidered on the left arm. She turned to face the mirror above the sink, plucking off the hat and setting it on the counter before she began to remove the pins and ties out of her hair, managing a soft grumble as she did so, her thoughts reminiscing to the exchange she'd had with her older brother only a couple of weeks prior.

" _Ros, come on, let me in. We need to talk! I even gave you space to cool off, are you still that mad at me?"_

" _Hell yeah!" She replied after finally opening the door, allowing him space to step inside and watching as he took his mask off and set it on the caf table, crossing her arms, "Go ahead, I'm waiting."_

" _Can I at least sit?" The older Guerran complained, trying not to laugh at his sister's exasperated sigh as she pointed to one of the chairs, gladly taking it. He combed a hand through his hair uncomfortably as she sat at the leather couch to his right, leaning forward and placing his elbows on his legs as he tried to think of the best place to start. "Look, Ros, I did want to come see you. I really did. But I couldn't risk putting you in danger. I don't trust much of anyone here, besides my fellow Knights…not so much including our leader, though. At first, yes, but as we were all trained by Snoke and Kylo Ren's power grew, something changed within him. I don't know how to explain it, but it's the reason why I didn't seek you out and why I stopped trying to reach out to Jeyse through the Force."_

 _Ros pulled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, setting her head on her knees as she listened to him. "When was the last time you were able to reach out to Jey?" She asked quietly, obviously worried about her little brother as much as Kerick was._

" _Many years ago, around the same time you 'joined' the First Order," He replied, placing a hand on his chin as he stared at the table in front of him, "It got too risky…it's dangerous out there for Force users right now, especially if the Supreme Leader were to find out about them. That hasn't stopped Jeyse from trying, but I've basically blocked him off – he either thinks I hate him, or that I'm dead, the latter of which is the lesser of two evils," He sighed, shaking his head, "I don't know if our family is okay, if they still live in the same place, if they're even still alive…but I'd rather not know than know I was the reason they were murdered."_

 _Ros let out a contemplative hum, noticing the tired and worn look on her brother's face – he'd been keeping this secret for years, and it'd slowly been eating away at him. "You always were the most level-headed thinker of all five of us," She murmured, giving him a reassuring smile when he looked up at her._

" _And you were always the most impulsive," He retorted, letting out a soft laugh as he recalled memories of all of the siblings together, four brothers and one sister, "Case in point: punching Supreme Leader Ren in front of all his Knights. You do realize if he hadn't told us to stand down through the Force, you probably would've had five sabers cutting into you before you had time to blink, right?"_

" _Aww, and here I thought I really scared you guys," She replied teasingly, releasing her legs and tucking them underneath her to the side, "You know me, I don't back down from a fight, no matter how futile my efforts may be. I have no sense of self-preservation, apparently."_

" _You don't say," He mumbled sarcastically, giving her a small glare, "I can't believe you haven't gotten yourself killed by now, especially knowing how you are. You have to be more careful, Ros," He added, raising a hand in the air as she was about to begin speaking, "I know, I know, no promises. Allow your older brother to worry about his baby sister, alright? Although I do think you might've gained some fans in the Knights. It's not everyday someone stands up to Kylo Ren and lives…or, actually, ever."_

" _I almost didn't," She sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and blinking at the unreadable expression on his face. She watched as he stood suddenly and made the few short strides over to her, standing in front of her with his arms outstretched and giving her a small smile. She stood up quickly, throwing herself into his embrace and hugging him tightly, shoving her face into his robes as her next words sounded both angry and anguished. "I missed you so much, Ker. I miss mom, dad, our brothers…I miss everyone," She spoke woefully, her voice muffled while her body shook with the grief of practically losing the family she didn't know was even still alive._

 _Kerick placed a hand behind her head, the other wrapped comfortingly around her shoulders as he looked down at her, "I know, Ros, me too. But we'll see them again. We'll find some way to get out of this and go back, together. Okay?" He spoke quietly, merely feeling her nod in response as he began to think of ways his hopes could become a possibility and then reality._

There was a faint smile on her lips as she remembered, the overbearing weight of missing her family being lifted by a great amount when she was reunited with her brother. Her thoughts continued to trail off until the sound of a pin loudly hitting the sink startled her, and she looked up in the mirror again to see her reflection. It was rare for her to wear anything other than her usual pilot's jumpsuit while on First Order business, but she had to look official and commandeering to the men she'd spent all day interviewing for the coveted position on her squadron, her senior staff having narrowed down the many applications down to three, just as she'd asked. After hours of interviewing them and another hour or two deliberating in solitude, she'd chosen to give the position of Alpha Eight to a barely younger male named Tay Kallos, a blue-eyed, black-haired pilot also trained at Skystrike like the rest of her team. She'd moved her squadron members up a slot, as she usually did when she kicked someone off the team but knowing she would've done the same even if it wasn't her norm – it didn't feel right to have anyone be Alpha Six except someone that had known Cain Flynn. After informing the three candidates of her decision, she'd introduced Kallos to her squadron, the six of them giving the new guy the usual routine of a once-over and pretend coldness that set the Officer on edge. She'd placed a hand on her hip and used the other to give him a good-natured clap on the back, the suddenness of the gesture startling the poor guy and causing him to stumble forward a couple of steps at which time her team began to howl in laughter before welcoming him and introducing themselves, all prior callousness gone in replacement of their usual selves. She'd left them to get to know each other better with a reminder that their first simulation together would happen within the next week or two, and didn't bother explaining the difference between what the new Officer was probably used to and what it meant for her team, knowing her well-acquainted mates would be more than happy to explain it to him – they always got a kick of seeing the new guy's face when they did.

She was about to remove the small, well-hidden snub blaster at her back tucked into her skirt when there was a knock on the door, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion as she glanced at a clock on the wall and wondered what anyone needed from her at such an hour. She'd returned to her quarters later than she'd originally expected solely due to the fact that, after introducing the newest member to the rest of her squadron, one of the rejected candidates had asked to speak with her privately and couldn't seem to understand her explanations behind why she hadn't had chosen him. All three of the candidates had been transferred over from the _Supremacy_ , but out of the three of them this one had been the one with the most experience and he couldn't grasp why she'd chosen someone with less under his belt than himself. She'd gotten a foreboding feeling from him during the interview, if he was too possessive and too much of a show-off during the few hours she spent with him she knew he'd be trouble on a team, which had been highlighted when she'd gone over his service records before ever meeting him. She explained this and although he wasn't willing to take no for an answer he allowed the issue to rest and she'd left, which made her wonder if he could have followed her to her rooms in some futile effort to prove her wrong.

She ran her fingers through her hair with a sigh, the gentle waves of chocolate cascading down the front and back of her jacket as she walked towards the door, setting her hand nonchalantly at her back in case she'd need a weapon and remembering the knife attached to her thigh beneath her skirt – she was sure she probably wasn't supposed to have either while wearing her dress uniform but nobody said she was a stickler for the rules. She watched the doors hiss open before her and she was slightly relieved but mostly worried to see the towering figure of Kylo Ren, who ran his eyes down her form slowly before meeting her own and telling her ' _Let's go'_ in his usual authoritative tone. She realized he'd come to collect her debt and she walked to grab her com when his words stopped her.

"You won't need that," He uttered, watching her critically as she moved her outstretched hand back from the caf table and glanced over her shoulder at him, "Or that," he added, waving a pair of ungloved fingers in her direction and pulling out the blaster she'd been reaching for when she answered the door, tossing it dismissively on the table and watching as she sighed resignedly before walking back over to him.

Once the doors closed behind her he began to walk, her heels once again echoing in the hallway as she followed him to the elevator and watched him in silence, her mind wondering what the hell kind of torture he had planned for her this time. Her thoughts ran a mile a minute at the millions of different kinds of pain he could inflict on her, steeling herself for a long night of agony and telling herself it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. When they reached the hangar bay she questioned if he was going to make her get in her ship and blow her to pieces out in space, but that thought dissipated when he merely stalked past the rows of ships and into an _Upsilon_ -class shuttle, activating the controls and shutting the doors behind her when she entered. She took a seat to his right and strapped herself in, watching closely as he activated the sensor jammers before the ship launched into hyperspace and she realized that wherever he was taking her, he didn't want them to be found.

"Where are we going?" She asked, knowing it was risky to do so but her curiosity getting the better of her.

"You'll see," He replied curtly, leaving it at that and allowing the silence between them to fill her thoughts as he turned around and stared at her, a glint of mischief in his eyes as he once again gave her the once-over.

Ros rolled her eyes in response, ignoring the feeling of being watched as she crossed her legs in her seat and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The trip was shorter than she expected and when they reached their destination, her eyes widened in surprise to see what was left of the _Supremacy_ laying still in space before her. He docked the ship in one of the non-damaged hangar bays and lowered the ramp before exiting, hearing the clicks of her shoes again as she followed him into the bowels of the ship mostly stripped and abandoned, the only remaining beings besides them two coming in the forms of a few droids left behind to salvage the last bits and pieces of the portable headquarters. After a few twists and turns and an elevator ride, they appeared to have reached their destination when he stepped through a set of doors and into a dimly lit room, the smell of burnt metal and charred steel filling her nostrils briefly until her senses adjusted to it. She blinked a few times, stepping forward cautiously and noticing the few spots of blood around the place where bodies had probably laid, long having been removed and most of their mess cleaned up except for a few pieces of silver that she could only guess had been part of a weapon at some point. The back of the room was red, and as she walked through the bridge connecting the entrance to the large room and took in her surroundings, she barely noticed Kylo Ren standing facing her at the edge of a small ramp that led up to a huge throne, arms crossed in front of his chest.

"What the hell is this place?" She asked, obviously more thankful than not at never having to have stepped foot in it – whatever it was, good things definitely didn't happen here. She paused a few feet away from him, glancing over the strange contraptions all around and above her before finally turning her attention to him.

"Snoke's throne room," He replied simply, watching as she gave him a look of pure confusion before continuing, "This is where I asked Rey to join me, to rule the galaxy at my side. She turned me down," He muttered bitterly, his eyes narrowing at the brunette before him as if she was the woman he spoke about.

"Rey…" Ros whispered, thinking back on the rumors circulating the base about a captured scavenger girl who'd somehow managed to get herself free and might as well have executed the Stormtrooper she conned in the process. It all made more sense now – if Rey had the Force, it explained why a non-defecting Stormtrooper unbound her and how she was able to escape, joining her friends in a combined effort that successfully took down Starkiller Base. Oh yeah, Ros definitely liked this girl. "So why are you telling me all this? Is this some sort of ramp-up for when you finally kill me?"

Kylo Ren's frown quickly shifted into a sly smirk, "Kill you? Oh no, I've found a much more… _titillating_ use for you."

What? _Oh no….no no no no no._ Ros's eyes widened as she took an uneasy step back, hoping she hadn't heard him correctly before speaking, "Excuse me? You can't be serious…do I look like her or something? Is this some fucked up fantasy of yours?"

"In some ways, yes, but mostly no. Your breasts and ass are much bigger than hers, and your eyes are a different color, but physical features aren't the only reason why I chose you," He replied, his voice low as he began to lessen the distance between them.

 _What the fuck?_ Ros felt a twinge of panic course through her veins as she tried to stall him, "But why me? I'm sure you could find dozens of First Order women who would be more than happy and willing to share your bed!"

Kylo Ren merely gave her an amused chuckle before answering, "Perhaps. But you're the only one who's truly stood up to me, like Rey did. In truth, it is how you act and who you are that has put you in this position…anyone else would be too docile, submissive, subservient. But not you."

 _Holy shit._ Ros took a deep breath before planting her feet firmly on the floor below her and placing her hands on her hips, her brief fear now overrun by anger. "So you only 'saved me' from that guy so you could do the deed yourself? That's fucking hypocritical."

"Oh no, that was never my plan. You _will_ enjoy this, or I will _make_ you enjoy it," He uttered, his voice full of the simple reminder of the day he'd cornered her in the elevator and had made her feel whatever he wanted her to, "But not as much as I will watching your face and hearing your voice as your scream my name for the whole galaxy to hear."

"You are one sick bastard, you know that?!" Ros yelled, her hands curling into fists as she tried to figure a way out of the current mess she'd gotten herself into. She tried to will her feet to move but they wouldn't, paralyzed by an outside force that suddenly lurched her forward and straight into Kylo Ren's arms. She managed a gasp as her hair flew around her before settling back down on her jacket, her hands pressing against his firm chest as she stared at his robes and tried to push away from him.

"The more you resist, the more of a toll it will take on your mind," He began, reaching for her jacket and ripping it open with zeal as the belt around her waist broke free and was tossed off to the side, "Believe it or not, I don't want to make you comatose…physical wounds are much easier to heal than mental ones," he continued, pulling the jacket off her shoulders and arms before letting it hit the ground next to them.

 _Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck._ Ros gulped, slowly moving her eyes up to meet his and trying to keep from showing him how freaked out she was really feeling, "Why don't you just kill me and end all of this?"

Kylo's smug smile returned, and he pulled her closer with one arm while using the other to tangle a hand in her hair, "Killing you was not as easy or enjoyable as I expected, so I learned from my mistake. I've found a better and much more satisfying way for you to pay for your insolence," He whispered, looking into her still-defiant aqua-green eyes before he brought his lips down to meet hers.

Ros tried to struggle but felt as if someone was taking her brain and squeezing it with both hands, the pain mollifying her for the time being as she relaxed in his grip. Her mind was in a daze as she fought to regain control, quickly realizing she was in a horridly losing battle when her body began to respond on its own, despite her inward protests and futile attempts to stop herself. Her hands slowly traced up his chest and shoulders, resting on the back of his neck as she pressed herself against him, pulling at his robes and parting long enough for him to pull them off his body. _"Fuck, why can't I stop this?!"_ She wailed, her inward struggle being shoved into the recess of her mind as the fog continued to gain hold, a mix of his power and pleasure taking over as she felt like this was some crazy out-of-body experience that wasn't truly happening. She barely registered him picking her up without any effort, the next sensation she noticed being the cold of the steel throne beneath her knees while she straddled his lap as he sat in it.

Kylo Ren's excitement was palpable as he looked at the woman in his lap, the taboo of what they were doing and where causing his length to harden to the point it was almost painful inside his pants. He'd imagined doing this to Rey and even Captain Guerran, but the fact that one of the two was there in the flesh with him was almost too good to be true, the tiny nagging voice that reminded him she was only doing this because he made her being forced into the back of his mind. He was too riled up to bother with the buttons of her shirt, pulling it open like he'd done her jacket and hearing the sound of the tiny buttons hitting the throne and floor around them. He ran his hands up her sides and to her back, his inexperience showing as he tried to unclasp her bra but trying to distract her by pulling her in for another kiss, too impatient to bother with it any longer before he took both hands and pulled it apart. He pulled back enough to remove the only object keeping him from seeing more of her body, his eyes staring in wonder at the first pair of breasts he hadn't only seen in a holo, but in real life. He reached up and took them in his hands, hearing her breath hitch from the intense waves of pleasure he was providing her before he pulled her body closer, running his tongue along the nipple and hearing her pleased whimpers in response. He let out an impatient grunt before he reached down to the hem of her skirt, hiking it up to her thighs and smirking when he noticed the sheathed knife strapped to one of them, the location and perceived danger of it only spurring him on further. He reached up and grabbed the edge of her too-racy-to-be-First-Order panties and ripped them off, grinding himself against her exposed flesh through the fabric of his pants and hearing her groan, her eyes shut tight as she tugged at his hair.

"Look at me."

 _No!_ But on command Ros did, her eyes fluttering open and staring into his brown ones that were full of lust and desire. Her cheeks were a nice shade of pink, their flush matching the color of her parted lips as she stared at him, as if awaiting orders.

Kylo chuckled sinisterly, the blue of her eyes standing out in the sea of red and black around them. He freed himself from his pants and pressed his length against her, groaning at the softness of her flesh, "You're so wet and ready for me," He murmured, his barely-restrained excitement brimming when he aligned himself with her entrance. He felt her nails start to dig into his back and he paused, reaching up with his left hand into her hair and tugging it aside, exposing the right side of her neck to him. He brought his lips to her ear, his other arm wrapped firm around her waist as he whispered, "Say my name."

 _Fuck you!_ Her mind screamed, her body once again responding on its own to his request, inwardly cringing at the sound of her voice filled with so much carnal need, "Kylo Ren."

As soon as the words escaped her lips he slammed into her, the magnificent feeling of tightness enveloping him and dazing him enough to almost make him not want to regain his senses, a primal moan managing to escape him. Why in the hell hadn't he done this before? This was so much better than he expected, his hand barely grazing the feeling that being inside a woman, especially _this_ woman, gave him. When he'd been trained as a Jedi they'd all been forbidden attachments, and so he remained celibate for that reason and even when he turned to the Dark Side, he'd been far too busy hunting down his uncle and helping Snoke run the First Order to even consider this a possibility. And fuck, had he missed out. There was no feeling like it, not even the feeling of Luke Skywalker returning to be one with the Force or himself killing countless enemies could compare to this.

Once he had regained as much control over himself as he could while still managing not to lose their forced mental connection, he pulled her face to his and kissed her, his thrusts starting slow and steady until he heard her no-longer-restrained moans into his mouth that rippled in the largeness of the room. At this his pace quickened, tugging her hair to pull her face back as he snarled, "Who do you belong to?!"

"Nobody," She somehow managed to whisper, her small rebellious victory squandered when he let out a malicious laugh and the fog descended even further into her brain.

"I'll ask you again," He growled, knowing he was close but doing his best to hold himself off until she answered, "Who do you belong to?!"

" _You!_ "

Her voice echoed in the air around them, the way she moaned it as he thrusted firmly and ferociously into her core sending him over the edge. There was a heavy static in the air that crackled when he came, spilling himself inside her and roaring as the strength of his orgasm made him feel renewed and more alive than he'd ever felt, planting the seed of addiction deep within. He slowed to a stop and opened his eyes to look at her, the beads of sweat glistening gloriously against her skin as she tried to catch her breath. He began to wonder if she'd climaxed too when he noticed the dazed look on her face begin to fade, and he rushed to distract her by meeting her lips with his in a heated kiss, using the element of surprise to wave his hand behind her head. He pulled back just when she fell limp in his arms, her face falling into the crook of his neck as he gave a pleased smirk before glancing around them, a dark chuckle escaping him when he relived the past and recent events that had transpired in this room.

* * *

Ros awoke with a start, jolting up on the bed and hyperventilating as her eyes tried to adjust to her surroundings. She realized she was in her bed, and she reached over to turn on the lamp on her nightstand, blinking the grogginess away as she looked down at herself. She was wearing one of her nightgowns, and the panic subsided long enough for her to wonder if she'd dreamt it all when she realized there was a good way to find out. She hurried to her closet, noticing her dress uniform wasn't in its usual place and telling herself she must've sent it to be laundered after the interviews, even though deep down she knew she was probably wrong. She entered the living room hesitantly, the lights turning on automatically upon detecting her presence and she visibly paled when she noticed her uniform in a heap on one of the leather chairs. She walked up to it slowly, her fearful hands reaching down to pick up the black blouse and her body beginning to tremble when she noticed all the buttons were missing, as if they'd been ripped out. She dropped the shirt on the floor and backed away from it, her mind not wanting to believe what her eyes had just seen before she whirled around and ran into the refresher, the memories rushing back to her as she barely made it to the toilet in time to throw up, a mixture of guilt and feeling dirty hanging like a stench in her mind and in the air. She hurled until she was dry heaving and flushed, tears from the exertion stinging her eyes as she pulled herself to her feet and to the sink to brush her teeth.

When she was done, she wiped her eyes with the nearest towel and took shaky breaths, rushing to her bedroom to dig in her closet for something to wear. She glanced at the time and noticed it'd been a few hours since she'd gotten home from the interviews, the unbridled sense of panic overwhelming her as she grabbed the easiest items within her reach. She pulled on a pair of form-fitting sweatpants and a sports bra, shoving her arms and head into a loose t-shirt before she put on the same running shoes she'd worn only days earlier. She grabbed her com and shoved it into one of her pockets, unsure if they'd need some sort of ID verification for what she was about to ask for and not wanting to even touch the code cylinders that were on her uniform. She grabbed the small blaster that was resting on the caf table and held it in one hand as she exited her room, unsure whether to be more angry or upset but feeling the tears trickle down her cheeks either way. She took off into a run towards the elevator, not even noticing the tall red-head she rushed past that was about to exit his office, her hand pressing against the control panel to open the doors and hurrying inside once they had. Her vision was blurry as she selected the infirmary level, and she didn't even register the footsteps heading in her direction as the doors closed, staring down at the blaster she held in her quivering hands.

Hux stood dumbfounded as he watched the Captain run past him, and he took the few steps out of his office to look in the direction that she'd gone. He was sure he'd noticed tears on her face, and as he walked towards the same elevator she'd just entered, his presumptions were confirmed when she turned and they fell freely from her face onto the floor. He was still miffed by what had happened between them, and he hadn't been sure he was ready to talk to her while he tried to nurse his wounded pride back to health, but when he saw her and the state she was in he knew something was horribly, terribly wrong. He took a few lengthy strides towards the lift, placing his palm on the control panel and waiting impatiently for the elevator to return – he still had to figure out where she'd gone to.

Ros arrived at the med bay within a couple of minutes, barging into the usually-quiet atmosphere in such a state that the nurse at the front desk stood up in alarm. She felt a sense of relief when she saw it was the same nurse as last time again, and she felt the hot sting of fresh tears as the nurse stepped out from behind the counter and hurried up to meet her. She opened her mouth to speak but only managed a few pained sobs, and she felt the nurse place her hands on her arms gently while telling her to take deep breaths. She did so, managing to calm herself enough to stop gasping for breath and try to tell her what she was there for. "I…I need…" She couldn't get out the words before she started crying again, and the nurse gave her an understanding look before telling her to stay there and that she'd be back with some medicine. Ros could only nod as she held herself, thankful that there was nobody around to see her like this when she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder, causing her to spin around and point the blaster directly at the person's face and slowly lowering it when she realized who it was.

"I felt a horrible disturbance in your life signature and it woke me up…are you okay?"

Ros let the blaster fall to the floor haphazardly, the sound of metal on metal hitting the floor lost to her as she threw her hands around the masked figure cloaked in all black in front of her, feeling her brother's arms wrap tightly around her as she sobbed onto his chest. She couldn't bring herself to speak or explain when the nurse returned, placing a hand on her arm gently that caused Ros to release her brother and look at her, trying to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

"Here, take this. It should work as long as it's been within 48 hours of the incident. I can also get you some pain and anxiety medication if you'd like," The nurse spoke softly, allowing the brunette before her to take the small pill in her hand before handing her the glass of water to wash it down with. She was slightly put off by the towering man in black next to her, especially since she knew what he belonged to, but decided to set it aside considering how kind he was being to the obviously fragile girl in front of her.

Ros nodded slowly in understanding, taking the medication given to her and downing it along with the water before shaking her head. "I don't think I'll need that…but thanks," She whispered, not noticing the nod her brother gave the nurse before the latter murmured something and walked off, Ros being too in her thoughts to even hear her.

"Ros…" Kerick began quietly, trying to keep his anger in check as it dawned on him what the medication was for, "Tell me. Who did this to you?!"

The shorter of the two turned to face her brother and shook her head vigorously, "No…I can't," she replied, knowing how her brother would respond and probably get himself killed trying to make Kylo Ren pay.

Kerick sighed, wishing this was one of those times she'd let him into her head but knowing better than to try, "Well it couldn't have been just anyone, Ros, especially since you haven't drank for over a month," he thought aloud, ignoring his sister's _'Have-you-really-been-keeping-tabs-on-me'_ look as he continued, "You can kick anyone's ass unless they have…wait a minute…" He could tell he was right by the horrified look on Ros' face, and he felt a powerful wave of anger flush through his body as he reached for the lightsaber at his belt, "That son of a bitch. I'll kill him!"

"No!" Ros cried out, placing her hand atop her brother's to keep him from brandishing his sword, "You can't! I can't risk losing you, too! Not when I just got you back!" She wailed, throwing her arms around him again in a hug and digging her face into his robes, moistening them with fresh tears as she felt him relax enough to wrap his arms around her comfortingly, "Promise me!"

"Alright, alright…it'll be okay…" He murmured, nodding at the nurse in thanks when she handed him the medication Ros had denied and put it in his pocket to give to her later, "Come on, let's get you back to your room. I'll stay with you until you fall asleep," He said quietly, the obvious emotional anguish his little sister was in taking its toll on her body as well as his psyche as he reached over and picked her up. He placed an arm under her knees and the other under her back, cradling her close to him for comfort like he'd done so many times when they were little.


	14. Lock and Key

Chapter 14

 **A/N: Again, apologies for taking so long to update. Now that I'm preggo (a miracle considering all the chemo I've had and being told I probably couldn't have kids) it's been up and down on when I feel well enough to get on the computer, SIGH. To make up for it, I'm going to try and post two chapters for you guys today!**

* * *

Hux had reached the sick bay just in time to see Ros taking some sort of medication the nurse had given her while the tall Knight in black stood nearby. He'd never gotten a chance to ask her who he really was, not to mention the files on the Knights of Ren were more than vague and some didn't exist at all (he'd checked), and he couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy as he wondered if she'd called on this man to be there for her instead of him. Whatever she was going through must've been exceptionally awful to put her in such a distraught state, and as he watched from the other side of the hallway across the open sick bay entrance, that jealousy grew intensely as he saw how she treated him with such affection. He wasn't able to hear the soft conversation they were having from this distance, but he was more than able to understand Ros's words when she raised her voice enough for it to project across the hallway, the phrase _"You can't! I can't risk losing you, too! Not when I just got you back!"_ reaching his ears and chilling his body so quickly that he felt as if the wind had just been knocked out of his lungs. He felt a mix of hurt and anger swirl through his body and into his mind, his usually calm demeanor shattering when he considered the fact that she'd probably never felt something for him, and he'd just occupied her time and had been discarded as soon as she'd been reunited with the true object of her affection. His hands clenched into tight fists and he stormed off, but not before the man clad in black picked her up carefully and held her so tenderly against him, almost in a similar way as he himself had done when he'd rushed over to save her life.

Maybe he shouldn't have saved it after all, he fumed, especially not when he let himself get vulnerable with her long enough for her to lash out at him indirectly. Although indirectly hurts worse than directly; at least if she'd told him she wasn't interested anymore he'd have been able to wallow in his misery for a few days before kicking himself in the ass to get back to normal. But this way, he was stuck in limbo where he didn't know whether they'd gone back or forward after last seeing each other, and the harsh realization of actually _seeing_ her with someone else had stung far deeper and much more than if she'd been upfront about it. She was twisting the knife without even realizing it, and he almost felt ashamed at having worried about her so intensely that he'd gone after her, only thinking himself a brash fool and being thankful that nobody had actually seen him – he didn't want anyone possibly telling her that he had cared.

No, he was done, he decided. Done with her, done with feelings, done with the sex…although damn, that last part had been fucking amazing, but he was Armitage Hux and he could get any whenever he wanted, even if deep down who it was that he wanted it from was her. He felt so weak, so stupid, so everything his father had ever told him he was that he'd strived and succeeded to prove wrong. Even in death his father hounded him, always in the back of his mind except for when he'd been with _her_ , the way she looked at him and even spoke to him getting his blood pumping faster in his veins. With her he'd never felt inadequate, and even when he was vulnerable in front of her she didn't judge him, instead using her words to remind him that he _was_ everything he'd aspired to be, regardless of what anyone, even his father or Snoke, said about him. And this, he realized, was why he was taking her betrayal so hard – she'd been there for him without him uttering a word, giving him the affection and attention he'd craved for days on end from her before so suddenly pulling it out from under him and leaving him in a dark room with no floor, falling endlessly in space. And so here he was, back in his quarters and pouring himself a large drink of whiskey to drown his sorrows in for the night, telling himself it'd be the only night he'd mourn for the feelings lost before shoving them into a box and setting it on fire, although, deep down, he knew it wasn't true. As he settled into a leather chair that was identical to the one in her room, he cradled his head in his hands as the feelings of hurt and anger stewed within him, the hard liquor only serving to pacify them momentarily as he poured himself another glass.

* * *

Ros awoke the next morning in the same clothes she'd worn to the sick bay, shoes off with a blanket covering her atop her bed. She slowly lifted herself to sit, reaching over for her com on the nightstand to look at the time before sliding off the bed and heading to the living room area, a smile forming on her lips when she saw the black-clad form of her brother passed out on the couch. He was too tall to fit properly so part of his legs hung off the side, and she held back a laugh when she heard the soft snoring coming from his slumbering frame. She'd told him when he got her back to her quarters to go back to his own, but he'd insisted on staying and she made him swear that he'd leave to get some rest when she fell asleep, although deep down she knew he wouldn't. He would stay with her until he felt she was okay enough without him, and he must've been the one to put a blanket over her since she couldn't recall doing so herself. It reminded her of when they were younger and she'd fall asleep in her mother's lap or in front of the holovision, and he'd carry her from there to her room, tucking her in to bed while their eldest brother took care of the youngest. She'd always been close to her family, which had been the hardest part to deal with when she got stuck serving the First Order, but keeping them safe had been her priority when she'd been given the ultimatum.

She scooted his helmet to the other side of the table before sitting down, reaching over to gently shake her brother awake, the latter mumbling something incoherent before finally opening his eyes. "Ker…you should go, you have your own responsibilities to take care of, and I don't want to get you in trouble."

Kerick yawned before sitting up, stretching and rubbing his neck as he looked at her, "Your couch is pretty uncomfortable, sis."

"Isn't everything in the First Order?" She retorted haughtily, earning a laugh from the older Guerran, "I thought I told you to go after I fell asleep!"

"Yeah, yeah…you did. But I wasn't about to chance you waking up in the middle of the night all alone. What kind of brother would that make me?"

"One that listens to his little sister," She teased, giving him a smile, "You have no idea how glad I am to have you here. I've missed our family so much."

"Yeah, me too…although dad wouldn't be surprised at all the trouble you've caused," He replied with a laugh, standing up and walking towards his helmet.

"He always told me my temper would get me into lots of trouble when I got older. I wish I could tell him he was right," She sighed, standing up and watching him put his helmet on as he adjusted his belt.

"We'll get to see them again sometime. Hopefully sooner rather than later, so just at least _try_ to stay out of trouble. Please?" He replied, his voice changing drastically as it went through the modulator.

"I will…as long as I'm not provoked," She laughed, giving him a tight hug before watching him leave. She turned from the exit and grabbed her jumpsuit and gear, jumping into the shower and taking extra time to scrub herself clean before she finished and changed, drying her hair shortly before putting on the body armor and belt. She grabbed her helmet and left her quarters, heading into the elevator that would take her down to the hangar bay – a nice, long flight always helped her sort out most of her thoughts.

When she arrived she noticed her crew talking to each other including the new guy, and she gave them a smile and a wave to try and keep herself looking as normal as possible, faltering when she noticed the uneasy look on their faces as she approached her ship. "What is it?" She asked, slowing her pace but not stopping completely. As she reached her ship the new guy attempted to explain and say something, but her Lieutenant stopped him with a hand on his shoulder and she vaguely heard the words _'Not our place, kid, unless you want to get your leg shot off'_ just when she noticed the heavy chains attached from her Silencer to the docking platform. They weren't the usual ones that you could release once inside the ship; no, these were the kind that kept it from going _anywhere_ , and there was a set on each side.

"What the fuck is this?!" She exclaimed, whirling around at the sound of her name to see Colonel Kahn standing there with a serious look on his face, "What's going on?"

"Captain," He began, noticing the look of confusion written all over her face, "I've been given orders that you are not to fly any ship for the next few weeks to a month."

"What?! Why?!" She hissed, her cheeks getting hotter from the anger she felt boiling in her veins, "You can't be serious! Who gave the order? Kylo Ren?!"

"Actually…" the Colonel paused, confusion marring his features as he explained, "The order came direct from General Hux. His reasoning was that you were, and I quote, 'too unstable.'"

Ros' eye twitched a few times as she curled one hand into a fist, the other gripping her helmet so tight it would've cracked were it not made of ultra-strength material, "Unstable? Unstable?! I'll show that fucker unstable!" She yelled, storming off towards the exit of the hangar and barely registering the conversation her newest squad member had with her Lieutenant.

" _What's she gonna go do?"_

" _Probably kick Hux's ass…and hopefully not get herself executed in the process."_

She knew exactly where to find him at this hour – he was probably on the bridge, barking out orders to his staff as he usually did when he wasn't in his office. And as she exited the elevator and headed to the heart and brains of the ship, she began to wonder why he would do something like this, especially when she'd just returned not too long ago from her trip to Montross that he'd approved. If there was ever a time for him to do something like this it would've been then, but he hadn't, which only made her question if it all revolved around the pride she'd bruised when she'd stopped Kylo Ren from practically executing him. He couldn't be this petty, could he? Being mad at her was one thing, but keeping her from being able to do her job was completely another, especially with Hux.

When she entered the command deck, she breezed past the pair of stormtroopers posted outside who tried to ask her what she needed, completely ignoring them and hearing their heavy footsteps shortly behind her as the bridge fell silent except for the startled cries of a few senior officers who asked her to halt. She ignored them as well, walking right up to Hux who turned to face her when he heard the voices of his crew, and she tossed her helmet to the side before raising her arms at her sides in anger, "So you fucking _grounded_ me?!"

Hux kept his cool composure as he looked down at her smaller frame, his hands clasped at his back as he replied, "Ah, Captain Guerran. I take it Colonel Kahn gave you the news."

"Yeah, he did, since apparently you didn't have the _balls_ to tell me yourself," She hissed, noticing the two stormtroopers now flanking her as she continued, "Your reasoning is bullshit and you know it. What the fuck is really your problem?!"

Hux let out a soft chuckle, his exterior showing his usual callous, regal self even though inside he was dying to take her into his arms and kiss her anger away, regardless of how angry he himself was with her. "It seems you need to learn a lesson about respecting authority," he retorted lowly, nodding at the two troopers who each grabbed an arm before one of them disarmed her and handed Hux her weapon, "Take her down into the cells. Maybe she'll be more cooperative once she's been there a while."

Ros watched as he studied and held her blaster passively in his hand, struggling futilely against the vice-like grip the two Stormtroopers had on her, "You vindictive son of a…you know what? Fuck you, _General Hux_!" She yelled bitterly, planting her feet on the ground once they tried to drag her away and looking at one of the red-shouldered troopers, "Let me go, you douche! I can walk myself down there, I've got legs!" She countered, noticing as they looked to the General for guidance before letting her go, giving her enough time to spin around and kick one of the stormtrooper's legs out and making him fall to one knee. She was about to grab the trooper's blaster to defend herself when she felt a large jolt of electricity course through her body, making her utter a soft curse as she fell forward and barely managed to catch herself with her hands and knees. She didn't get enough time to catch her breath when she was pulled roughly to her feet and a set of shackles placed on her wrists behind her, the painful grip of the trooper she'd kicked now on her shoulder as he asked her where she thought she was going to go. She was pulled close by the arm to the red-shoulder trooper that had placed the cuffs on her while the other shoved his blaster against her waist painfully, the former asking the General if he wanted her to be executed after what she'd just done. Ros let out a soft scoff when Hux replied to just take her to the cells, her eyes meeting his with a mingling of rage and disappointment beneath them as she spoke quietly, "I hope you're proud of yourself."

Hux watched her being taken away, trying to squash the guilt and regret he felt in his chest when he saw the look on Ros' face as well as Sergeant Summers looking at him with a mix of displeasure and horror. "As you were," he muttered coldly, turning to face the star-freckled stretch of space before him as he weighed the pros and cons of the decision he'd just made.

Ros noticed the rows and rows of empty cells they passed as they took her down to the one she'd be staying in, the handcuffs they'd put on her in the bridge rubbing and weighing heavily against the fabric of her jumpsuit. Once in front of her cell, they opened the Force-proof door and pushed her inside before closing it, causing her to let out a soft curse before turning around to face the now-empty hallway. "Of course they won't take these off before leaving…assholes," She muttered, letting out a sigh before she began to inspect her surroundings in the tiny cell. Against the back wall was a raised concrete slab with a mattress and pillow on it, but besides that there was nothing other than the door and two other walls, not even a sink. "Well it's definitely a far cry from my Captain's quarters," She mumbled sarcastically, walking over to the mattress and sitting down on it before leaning forward to shimmy her body between her arms so the shackles would be in front instead of behind her back, looking down at them as they binded her wrists. She slowly laid down onto the bed, resting her head on the pillow and curling her legs up closer to her body, the lack of a blanket and the frigid conditions on the ship and especially these cells making her shiver. She shut her eyes tight, reaching up to grab the pillow with her handcuffed hands in an effort to keep herself warm.

* * *

Ros awoke several hours later to a blanket being placed over her body, and as she groggily opened her eyes to see who it was she let out a gasp of surprise when she saw Kylo Ren. She instinctively backed away and into one corner of the cell while on the bed, staring at him suspiciously as he stood and looked down at her.

"I'm not here to hurt you."

"You'll have to excuse me if I don't believe you," She replied, watching as he reached behind him and pulled out a unique key before motioning to her hands. She hesitantly extended her arms towards him and watched as he removed the handcuffs, tossing them on the ground before pulling her up to stand. She took a couple of steps away from him and rubbed her wrists, looking down at them as she did so and noticing as he closed the distance between them.

"I can get you out of here, all you have to do is say the word," He breathed, reaching up to cup her cheek and frowning when she backed further away and out of his touch until she was against the wall.

"Yeah, but at what cost? Besides, Hux probably won't be too happy if he finds out, he'd probably just send me right back here."

"I'm Supreme Leader now, so _I_ tell _him_ what to do," He replied, once again removing any gap between them and placing his hands at either side of her head, "There's no catch. I already own you, remember?"

"No you don't, I already held up my end of the deal!" Ros argued, trying futilely to separate them as he began to press his body against hers.

"I never said it was a one time thing," He replied with a smirk, noticing the look of horror in her eyes as he leaned in to whisper in her ear while reaching over slowly to trace a hand over her outlined curves, "Besides, not only did you enjoy it, you agreed that _you belong to me._ "

"No! Why you keep going after women who reject you?" She yelled, pushing his chest with as much force as she could muster at that moment and watching him stumble back before regaining his footing, "You can't just change the terms of our deal!"

"I can do whatever I want," He growled, his anger flaring as he stalked back over to her and punched a large dent into the steel wall, "And I'll be sure to tell your _darling_ General Hux thanks for giving you to me as a gift, _for life_." With that he turned, exiting the cell with his cape billowing behind him.

Ros slumped onto the bed and sighed, hunching over in defeat and shoving her fingers into her hair as she cradled her head. She stared at the steel floor beneath her boots and blinked away the few tears that were threatening to spill over, telling herself she wouldn't waste any more of them on the situation she'd gotten herself into. She sat that way for a long while, the only cause to break her out of her thoughts being the sound of running footsteps headed in her direction. She didn't bother to look up until she heard a familiar voice say her name, her eyes meeting Leillea's and causing her to scramble to her feet and watch as the latter removed the cell door barrier between them. "Lei? What are you doing here?"

"General Hux sent me to get you out," She replied simply, catching Ros's look of confusion and anger as she tried to catch her breath before running up to her and giving her a hug, "Come on, let's get you back home."

* * *

Ros spent half the night updating Leillea of what had happened to her the previous few days, prompting the blonde to stay the night and then return the next one after her rotation was over. The two were exchanging ideas on how to get Ros out of the mess with Kylo Ren over a cup of caf when there was a loud knocking at her door, causing Ros to give her best friend an uneasy look. "Maybe Kerick forgot something when he left?" She uttered quietly, having spent a lot of the time that Leillea was on shift with him, especially once he found out she'd been thrown in a cell, "I don't want to see anyone else, _especially_ Hux," she added for emphasis, watching as Leillea stood and walked to the door to answer it.

Leillea gulped when she looked up at the imposing figure of the General, her eyes shifting between him and Ros on the couch before she spoke, "Uhm…Captain Guerran really doesn't want to see anyone, General."

Hux narrowed his eyes at her, obviously annoyed that a subordinate would be speaking to him in that manner, "Well she can make time to see me."

"Actually…" Lei added sheepishly, placing a hand behind her neck, "She _really_ doesn't want to see you, sir. I'm sor—"

"Step aside, Sergeant," Hux bellowed, causing the blonde to yelp and do so when he began to move past her, "Leave us."

"Go ahead, Lei, it's okay. I don't think this room is big enough for you, me, and his _ego_ anyway," Ros grumbled, watching as her best friend gave her a nervous nod before exiting the quarters and leaving the two of them alone, "You've got some fucking nerve, _General._ What in the _hell_ could you possibly want after what you did?!"

Hux couldn't help but glare at her, the original guilt he'd felt for having thrown her into the cell in the first place ebbing away to anger, "You need to tell me what exactly Kylo Ren meant when he spoke to you in that cell."

"First of all, I don't _need_ to do anything," Ros replied, setting her half-drank mug of caf on the table, "And second of all, you were _watching_ me in there? That's fucking creepy, even for you."

Hux ignored her comment, stepping forward towards the couch she was sitting in, "Tell me what he meant by 'I gave you to him as a gift.' I need to know what happened between you two!"

"No, you don't," Ros seethed, standing up and throwing the blanket off her shoulders to reveal a pair of soft, form-fitting shorts and matching tank top, "All you need to know is that I held up my end of the deal. The details are unimportant," She whispered the last sentence, placing her hands on her arms and turning her head away so she wouldn't have to look into his eyes.

Hux's anger gave way to worry as he noticed the sudden change in her demeanor, "Ros," He spoke quietly, remembering her most recent visit to the infirmary, "Did he…force himself…"

"No," She whispered, knowing he wouldn't be able to finish saying the words, "Not…technically, I guess. He took me to Snoke's throne room and did some…weird shit to my head. It was like he took control of my body…it doesn't matter now. Why the fuck do you care, anyway?"

Hux ignored her question as his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, trying to fully grasp what she was actually telling him. He was scientific man whose brain worked on logic and reasoning, so anything related to the so-called 'Force' always stumped him, "Just tell me what exactly happened…"

Ros sighed, turning her body around so her back was to him while still holding herself, "He had sex with me…and somehow, he made me like it. It was like I was in there but I couldn't stop it, just watch. He made me say things…I didn't even know you could do shit like that, I guess I really underestimated him."

Hux finally understood, his fists clenching in anger mostly at Kylo Ren but also at himself for allowing this to happen. If he hadn't been so worried about his pride after the tiff with Ren he probably would've been with her when he tried to take her away, or at least that's what he wanted to believe. "Were you ever going to tell me?"

At this she spun around, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks as she glared at him, "How was I supposed to?! 'Hey Hux, I held up my end of the deal by having sex with Kylo Ren in Snoke's throne room while he controlled me and made me enjoy it.' How the hell was I supposed to explain that?!" She retorted, wiping the tears off her cheeks with the back of her hand, "I was such an idiot to think that you cared, but you showed me your true colors when you ordered me into that cell, especially when I did it to try and save your life in the first place. I did it all for _you_!" She screamed, giving him a shove and watching him fall back a step or two as she tried to blink away the tears that wouldn't cease.

Hux felt his anger return again, and he felt it seeping out of every pore as he yelled back at her, "I didn't ask you to, I was there to help _you_! It's pretty hypocritical for you to say I didn't care, don't you think? Especially when you tossed me aside as soon as your old lover resurfaced!"

Ros was about to say something when she froze, the tears ceasing long enough for her to look at him with eyes that betrayed the purest bewilderment, "W-What? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb," He growled, closing the distance between them, "I saw you with him first outside of your quarters and then in the med bay a couple of days ago. He's a _Knight of Ren_."

Ros stared at him blankly for a few moments before reaching up to rub her temples, "Oh my Kriff, Hux," She uttered, easing herself back down on the couch before putting her hands at her sides and looking up at him, "That man is my _brother_."

Wait. What?

Oh…OH. _Yikes._

Holy shit, had he read that situation wrong. Suddenly, a lot of things made more sense to him, and he realized that he'd completely misunderstood sibling care for lover's care. He'd been so blinded by his hurt, anger, and jealousy that he'd entirely bypassed an obvious explanation, putting him in the position now where he felt like he'd definitely shoved his foot in his mouth. He stared at her with mouth agape, trying to come up with words to explain himself but merely finding himself grasping at straws; he'd never been in a position to actually have to do such a thing, especially when she was technically just a subordinate.

"Look," she sighed, moving a wisp of hair out of her eyes, "I can't change what happened between me and Kylo Ren, I can only try and prevent it from happening again," She paused, staring at the table in front of her, "So now that you know, I get it if you don't want to be near me or ever touch me again. The whole thing made me feel dirty…used, which was probably exactly what he was going for. I can understand why you hate him so much."

Hux gave her a perplexed look, "You think what Ren did is going to drive me away?" He asked, getting her answer when she didn't bother to look at him, "What happened was not your choice. Ren takes what he wants and doesn't think twice about it, that's just who and how he is. But you…" He paused, peeling his gaze away to stare at the table as well, "I've never felt anything like this. Truthfully, I didn't know I could, not after so many years of being taught and forced to suppress my feelings. I've been an empty shell for a long time."

Ros looked back at him, placing her hands on her arms as her cheeks turned a light shade of pink, "You're a special person, Hux. I really do care about you," She whispered, waiting for him to meet her gaze before smiling. She knew he wasn't the type to express his feelings, so him having said that much meant a lot not only to him, but to her, and she figured he wanted a change of subject when he shifted his weight uncomfortably from one foot to the other, causing her to cross her legs. "So what exactly did you 'see' that night in the med bay?"

Hux glanced at her briefly before walking around the caf table to take a seat in the chair nearest the couch she was sitting on, leaning forward to place his forearms to rest on his legs as he clasped his hands together. He looked at them before up and over at her as he spoke, "I was about to exit my office when you ran past me. You were obviously distraught by something so I tried to follow you. I was able to access the recent logs for the elevator you used and I noticed you'd gone down to sick bay, so that's where I went," He paused, peeling his gaze away from her and back at his hands, "When I finally got there he was already with you and you appeared to be sobbing and holding on to him. I couldn't hear your conversation until you yelled that you didn't want to lose him after just getting him back."

Ros paused, giving him a long, hard stare before it clicked in her mind why he'd been so upset. She scooted to the edge of the couch to be closer to him and placed her elbow on the arm, settling her chin in her hand as she looked at him with a teasing smirk, "Oh, I see. So you were jealous, is that it?"

"No," Hux blurted out defensively, leaning back in the chair and crossing his arms before looking at her, "I don't get jealous. I barely have emotions as is, they're detrimental to my position."

Ros couldn't help but laugh, noticing the small smile he was trying hard to suppress, "Well that is your reputation, General Hux. The robot-like, callous, ruthless golden boy of the First Order." She watched his expression closely and noticed the look of proud and pleased satisfaction that crossed his features, "Although I'm sure my reputation goes something like 'loud-mouthed, hot-tempered, rule-breaking pilot bitch,' right?"

Hux let out a soft chuckle, glancing down at his lap as he recalled the various notes in her personnel file that he'd read, "Actually, the only one who said you were loud-mouthed and hot-tempered was Colonel Kahn, but he put them as positives in your file," He explained, placing a hand on his chin thoughtfully, "Each one of the men on your squadron all said you were fair, caring, and an excellent leader. I actually saw quite a few mentions of your physical attractiveness from all the men who'd requested to…share an intimate encounter with you."

Ros's eyes widened at his last statement, and she let her hand drop to rest on the armrest as she spoke, "Holy shit, I forgot you guys did that sort of thing. _Please_ tell me you haven't put a note in your file that we've slept together."

"No, I haven't. But now that you mention it…" Hux replied wistfully, curious to see what her reaction would be.

"Don't you fucking do it, mister! I know you always have to follow the rules and all that bullshit, but is it too much to ask to keep my – no, _our_ – private matters out of the hands and eyes of the First Order?" Ros glared playfully at him as she pointed her finger, "I swear, if I find out you notated my file, you will regret it, Armitage Hux."

Hux gave her a smug grin before it faded as realization struck him, "Wait a minute, I never told you my first name!"

Ros mirrored his earlier smugness as she answered, "Now General, you're not the only one that can read through personnel files…"

"But that's classified!" He replied frantically, scooting forward in his seat, "Nobody below my rank can get access to that!"

Ros' grin widened to a smirk as she leaned forward towards him and placed her hand gently on his cheek, "That's cute. Now, remember that if you ever decide to put our 'intimate encounters' on my personnel records."


	15. The Repercussions

Chapter 15

"That motherfucker."

"What is it, Cap?" Sergeant Kyja asked, his blue eyes peeking over her shoulder from behind as he looked down at the metal chains still keeping her ship from being able to fly.

"You know, I had a feeling this would happen. That's why I brought my kit," She grumbled, noticing the rest of her crew, including their newest member, beginning to crowd around them, "Hand me the oxy-fuel cutter, would you?" She asked him, pulling her hair up into her helmet before putting it on.

"Uh…this thing?" Kyja asked, holding up an arc-welder before looking at her.

"What? No," She sighed, the sound coming out even more pronounced through the helmet's filtering, "They really don't teach you boys anything to do with working on ships at Skystrike, do they? Here, hand it over," She continued, reaching into the kit once he had and pulling out the correct tool before hooking it into one of the gas lines attached to the dock, "Step back, kiddos, and don't look directly into the light." She pressed a black button and smiled contently beneath the black helmet when the blue flame ignited, reaching over to the chain and cutting it into two separate pieces with ease before unhooking the tool and walking over to connect it to the line on the other side of the ship.

"Hey Cap, are you sure you wanna do that? It's only been a few days since Hux implemented that no-fly and you're supposed to be grounded for a month," Her Lieutenant asked nervously, "You know we wouldn't worry but he threw you in a cell last time you defied him."

Ros let out a scoff, cutting the other chain swiftly before walking back to her kit and replacing her tool, "I'm hoping he just _forgot_ to get these taken off, but you can tell Kahn to tell that ginger that if he's got a problem with it, to take it up with me when I get back," She replied, hooking up the life support line to her helmet before placing her hands on her hips, "He's not so tough when he's not hiding behind his 'troopers." _Or when he's with me_ , she smirked evilly, glad that her crew couldn't see her before she spotted the Colonel approaching behind them, "Shit, gotta go!" She rushed up the dock steps before using the back of the ship to pull herself up, landing easily on her feet before she ran and jumped into the TIE's open hatch. She pressed the button to close it as she simultaneously started up the engines, letting out a victorious laugh as she pulled away just before the Colonel reached the huddle of men, hearing the heavy shackles previously on her ship hitting the ground behind her with a loud _'thud.'_

"So…she can pilot _and_ fix ships? Can anyone please tell me why some lucky bastard hasn't married her yet?" Officer Kallos wondered, "'Cause if you guys won't, I will."

"Alright new guy, there's a few ground rules about Captain Guerran that we need to cover," Lieutenant Stevens began, holding up his index finger as the rest of the men crossed their arms and stared at Kallos, "First off, you can look but you can't touch. Yes, the Captain's a stunner and hot as hell, but she can beat your ass – or all of ours – anyday. Second of all," he continued, holding up another finger, "She considers us family. Not husband or boyfriend, we're all like brothers to her. Third," He added, holding up yet another finger, "Captain's off-limits, no ifs ands or buts. You got that?"

Kallos frowned, crossing his arms as he looked in the direction of the ship exit of the hangar bay, "Yeah, I got it. But who decided she was off-limits? She's not married, right?"

Stevens chuckled, placing a hand on his shoulder, "She decided. Those are her rules. And no, she's not married, I don't think she considers herself the 'marrying' type. Even if she did, she wouldn't marry _anyone_ in the First Order."

At this Kallos became even more confused, setting his arms back at his sides as he looked at all of them, "Why not? I mean she joined, didn't she? She could marry any head honcho she wanted, probably even Hux or Kylo Ren."

Stevens merely shook his head, laughing softly along with the rest of the men who had knowing smiles on their faces, "Kid, once you're off probationary and truly a part of the team, she'll be the one to tell you the story. Just don't be stupid and think you can get around the rules."

"Why? What'll happen?"

Stevens crossed his arms again before speaking, "You remember when I told you about getting your leg shot off the other day? When the Captain came for her ship?"

"Yeah…"

"Well it'll be just like that, except it'll be your junk. Or your head, if she's feeling merciful."

Ros took in a deep breath, the vastness of space stealing her away briefly as she exited the hangar. She'd just barely made it outside when a radio call came in to her frequency, the male voice sharp and direct as it spoke.

"This is _Finalizer_ to _H.B.I.C._ Silencer, do you copy? I repeat, do you copy?"

Ros bit back a laugh at the initials she'd placed not only on the sides of her ship but into the destroyer's and, for that matter, entire fleet's official ship and flight manifest, trying to keep herself composed as she responded. "I copy you, _Finalizer_."

"Captain Guerran, you have not been cleared for flight. We show you as still under grounded status in our systems."

"Is that so?" She replied simply, "Do me a favor, can you place me on the bridge's full frequency? I have something I need to ask General Hux." There was a hesitant pause as she turned her ship to face the bridge, a sly grin on her face as she zoomed in with her helmet to see said General facing outward as usual, his head turned slightly as an officer spoke to him. A brief flash of confusion passed his features as he gave a curt nod and she heard the tell tale sound of being switched from a single line to multiple speakers. She watched his eyes narrow slightly as he kept his face emotionless, his usual aloof demeanor still set in place as he stood at parade rest, hands clasped behind his back as he waited for her to speak to him. " _General_ ," She began sweetly, her tone of voice causing his façade to falter enough for him to look like he might be even a little genuinely worried about what she was about to say, "Now can you tell me—"

"HUX!"

Ros winced slightly at the loud bellow that shrieked in her ear, spotting the always-angry form of Kylo Ren entering the bridge and stomping up to stand next to Hux. The latter kept his composure and almost seemed exhausted, probably from having to deal with the man who'd just stormed his otherwise quiet command center. _Even better._ Ros felt a sly smile stretching onto her lips, and she waited until Ren seemed to be at a particularly significant part of his tirade to interrupt, "Is that Kylo Ren I hear?" Her words caused the black-clad male to hesitate and look around, momentarily confused before he answered.

" _Supreme Leader_ Ren," He corrected, not recognizing the voice through the helmet's sharp filtering, "Who the hell is this?"

Before one of the bridge's crew could answer him, she narrowed her eyes and placed her ship on autopilot to hold her position, unbuckling the harness that kept her from bouncing around inside, "Oh, you know who I am," She responded coyly, reaching to grab the bag she'd placed in her ship long before cutting off the chains and pressing the button to open the top hatch, ignoring the soft, incessant warning beep of the ship, "But maybe this will remind you." She pulled herself out of the cockpit with the bag, the frigidness of space hitting her all at once as her life support kicked in. She activated the antigravity function of her boots and took a few slow, deliberate steps on the hull of her ship before tossing the contents of the bag forward, her dress uniform spilling forth and separating into the different garments before becoming suspended in space. She didn't wait to make it fully back into her ship before turning off the antigravity, falling perfectly into the seat to man the controls as she closed the hatch and strapped herself in. She heard a confused _'What is that?'_ from Kylo Ren as she disengaged the autopilot and took control, activating the rear thrusters in reverse as she pulled back in a straight, horizontal line from the _Finalizer_ , hearing Hux's reply of _'I believe that's her…First Order dress uniform…'_ before she stopped, seeing the articles of clothing directly between her Silencer and the battlecruiser.

"Captain, what the _fuck_ do you think you're doing?" Kylo Ren snarled, obviously recognizing the outfit as what she was wearing when he took her to Snoke's throne room.

"Three," She began, switching from lasers to cannons as she heard Kylo's roar of _'Pick them back up!,'_ "Two," She continued, hearing the tiny click that informed her the cannons were ready to fire, along with Kylo's _'Don't you_ _ **dare**_ _!,'_ "One." As soon as the word left her mouth she pressed the button as hard as she could, feeling the gentle push of the weapon firing that caused her thrusters to activate briefly to keep her in place. Her eyes sparkled beneath the helmet as the blast made impact, ripping to shreds and burning the pieces of the clothing that remained, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders as she slumped back in her seat. _Yes_ , she'd needed to do this. Her helmet's camera zoomed in and focused once more on the bridge, a satisfied smile on her lips when she noticed Kylo's look of fury and Hux's bewilderment, she'd _definitely_ have to explain her actions to the General later, lest he think she was a traitor for destroying First Order property.

"General Hux, I do believe I might be in need of a new set of dress blues. I'm sure _Supreme Leader_ _Ren_ will be more than happy to approve my request," She spoke suggestively, only hearing the words _'Get back in—!'_ snarled at her in Kylo's voice before she cut off the transmission, not allowing him to finish. She didn't wait for him to react as she angled her ship and piloted it back towards the hangar bay, knowing he was most likely Vader-choking someone to get her back on the _Finalizer's_ frequency faster than they probably could. She heard the distinctive burst of static as her radio connected with the larger ship, the howl of _'When you get—!'_ getting interrupted when she broke off the broadcast with a simple, "Nope."

She didn't know what it was about Kylo Ren that made her want to keep poking the bear, her saner self telling her it was always a bad idea while her (usually victorious) competitive self told her she couldn't let him win. That was the problem with growing up with four brothers – competition was always rampant even if it was all in good fun, and she'd been raised with the ideology that she shouldn't let anyone push her around simply because she was a woman. This is why she'd always been driven to be the best, to beat her brothers at everything which she'd eventually succeeded in doing, even volunteering herself as the test dummy for the two brothers that were lucky enough to be Force-sensitive. Her father hadn't treated her differently just because she was a girl, quite the opposite as he'd taken her under his wing and gave her all the knowledge he possessed and knew a few of his sons weren't interested in. She'd been a daddy's girl but managed to keep her femininity, her mother teaching her the rules of makeup and how to properly dress as a young woman, the cooking and cleaning being a by-product of helping her take care of the home. All of this put together made her who she was, and despite her positive traits, she had to admit that her lack of self-preservation and her instinct to always fight instead of flight landed her in the worst of situations.

She docked her ship and exited gracefully, calling out to her Lieutenant from the hull and then the stairs as she descended, "LT, have my kit and helmet sent back up to my quarters. I've got some…repercussions I'm gonna have to deal with," She called out, removing said helmet from the line and then her head as her hair tumbled out as usual, "Hopefully it's just a cell this time." She gave her men a reassuring smile even though deep down she knew she'd fucked up more than she typically did, but how was she supposed to know Kylo Ren was going to show up at the worst time? Her plan had been to blow up the uniform away from the ship where nobody could see her, then ask Hux discreetly for a new one, but instead of doing that, she'd gone and pissed off the worst person possible. She didn't expect him to be so devoted to her clothes, but she'd be lying if she said it hadn't felt good to break the chains attaching herself to them, even if she'd only made the one attached to him tighter.

She approached the elevator with a sense of dread before pressing the control panel and entering her desired level to wait for its arrival, the doors opening sooner than she expected to reveal a panting Kylo Ren surrounded by deep, heavy scorch marks and burns on the walls, having torn them and all the cameras and outlying equipment practically to shreds. She let out a startled cry when she was thrust forward onto his body and he pinned her against a sparking wall, embedding his still-lit lightsaber into the space next to her head and holding on to the hilt tightly, his dark eyes betraying the boiling rage he felt beneath them.

" _Why_ do you insist on defying me?!" He roared, placing his free hand on the other side of her head, his fingers curled up into a fist.

"I'm nothing like Rey, am I?" Ros taunted, glancing briefly at the somehow-still-intact control panel inside the elevator and noticing they still had quite a few floors to go.

"No," He hissed, pulling his sword down and creating a large crater into the wall before deactivating it, "She's more scared of me than _you_."

"That's not surprising," She spoke quietly, trying to think of a way to get herself out of the same shitstorm she'd gotten herself into and biding her time. They still had a long ways to go and he could easily just stall the lift by shoving his weapon into the control system, which he probably would do if she kept goading him like this. Her mind settled on the probably-highly-successful but also never-attempted method of using her sensuality to distract him, the thought causing her stomach to churn but, weighing her options, she knew she probably didn't have any choice to begin with. She only hoped she could do it right; it'd never been attempted for a couple of reasons – she'd never needed to use it and she didn't really know how. She closed her eyes and took in a soft breath, settling her nerves and opening her eyes again before she spoke, "I never asked, should I call you Kylo, Ren, or Supreme Leader?"

The look of pure confusion on his face at the sudden topic change almost made her laugh, but she kept her face composed with a look of subtle bashfulness when he replied, "Er…Kylo, I guess. Unless we're in public."

She tilted her lips into a coy smile as he stared at her, feeling the sudden tug on her consciousness as he tried to invade her mind – she had to distract him, and fast. "So, _Kylo_ ," She whispered, placing her hands on his chest and trailing them upwards slowly, the fabric shifting underneath her fingers as she brought her face closer to his, "Why haven't you kissed me yet?" All at once he dropped his weapon and pinned her wrists above her head, the sound of metal-on-metal filling her ears briefly before he pressed his lips against hers. She opened her eyes to glance at the panel and noticed they still had a few levels left, closing them quickly before he noticed and moaned into his mouth, the sound making his kiss more ragged and needy as he continued.

He pulled back just enough to bring his lips to her ear and press his hardened length against her, the fabric of his robes causing a friction that couldn't even compare to how he'd felt inside her, "I knew you'd come to me," He growled, releasing her hands so he could roam his over her body in the tight jumpsuit, "I knew I was who you really wanted."

Ros couldn't help but roll her eyes at his words, thankful that he'd completely given up on reading her thoughts as the scent of his musky shampoo filled her nostrils, telling herself to hang on for three more levels. "I'm right here," she purred, slowly lifting her leg to trace the inside of his pants, "Take me."

He let out a soft curse under his breath, obviously too turned on to reply with proper words as he reached behind her, fumbling for the zipper of her jumpsuit beneath her armor. He pulled her lips in with a heated kiss, his pulse racing with so much lust and adrenaline that he didn't even register the elevator doors opening to the level she'd selected.

Ros placed her hands on his shoulders firmly before lifting the leg she'd had between his up even further and kicking him, pushing him off her as he doubled over in pain and fell to his knees. She raced out of the elevator past Leillea and a horrified-looking Hux, the image of what he'd just seen burned into his brain as he managed to follow her movements with his eyes. She kept running until she felt a strong push forward and she fell onto her hands and knees, struggling against invisible weights to stand but only managing to lift one knee off the ground, her hands and boots stuck to it like glue. She realized her resistance was futile when a force began to pull her backward towards the elevator, the sound of a lightsaber being ignited mixing with the loud screeching her shoes emitted as she tried to keep from moving but making no progress.

" _Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck,"_ She internally screamed, hearing the loud, sinister laughter of the man behind her as he approached, slowly closing the distance between them as his boots made soft thuds on the floor beneath them. She began breathing heavily from the struggle, her long hair framing her face as she felt her body gradually begin to rise, causing her eyes to widen in panic. As sudden as it came the force was gone, the sound of another lightsaber being drawn and lit filling her ears as she fell to the ground, catching herself in a crouching position. She flipped herself over to see what had happened, her breaths heavy as she sat on the floor with her palms behind her to support her upper body, her heels touching the ground with her knees bent. Her gaze lifted to the tall man in black in front of her, his stance lowered into the defensive as he held one hand out in front of him and his weapon in the other, causing a mix of relief and worry to surge through her.

"Back off, boss," The older Guerran warned, staring at his superior through his mask as he prepared himself to give his life up to save his sister's.

"Armory, what the fuck do you think you're doing?!" Kylo Ren roared, his voice thundering through the corridor as he stared down one of his knights, "This doesn't concern you!"

"No can do," He replied calmly, hearing the soft sounds of Ros moving to stand behind him as the air around them crackled like electricity through the Force.

"Why do you defy me?!" Kylo growled, understanding replacing the anger in his features as he let out a soft chuckle, "Ah. Of course…how didn't I see it before? Take off your mask."

The knight hesitated briefly before reaching up with his hand, keeping his sword lit and ready with the other as he unclasped it and heard the soft hiss before he took it off, tossing it aside and hearing it land with a heavy 'clunk.'

"Now it's _so easy_ to see the family resemblance," Kylo sneered, watching as Ros moved to stand next to her brother, "I can't believe I didn't put it together earlier. It'll be a shame to have to kill one of my most loyal knights, but I can't have any of them running around unchecked."

"No!" Ros yelled, taking a step forward but being stopped by her brother's outstretched arm as he deactivated and put away his lightsaber, "He's doing this for me! This is all my fault!" She gently pushed his arm away and stepped towards Kylo Ren, ignoring her brother's stern call of her name as she walked up to Kylo Ren and glared up at him, "This has always, always been between you and me, from the very beginning."

Kylo looked down at her with a frown, attaching his now-unlit lightsaber to his belt before letting out a harsh scoff. He glanced between her and the Armory before grabbing her wrist, stalking in the direction of his quarters and pulling her with him.

Ros tried to keep up with his fast pace, glancing over her shoulder at Hux, who stood dumbfounded through the whole encounter, as well as Leillea and her brother, "Lei, you better keep them there! Don't you jerks try to be heroes!" She called out sternly, her frown turning up into a smile as she was pulled further away from them and into Kylo's rooms.

The doors hissed shut behind her, and she slowly turned to face the man who was staring at her with a look she couldn't quite place, "Please tell me you won't harm my brother. Please," She whispered, looking away from him and to the floor, "Everything he did was for me. To save _me_ ," She continued, placing her hands on her arms, "I was stupid, and brash, and reckless…even though I knew I couldn't win against you. I'm not as strong as you, I don't have the Force like you, there was never a chance."

Kylo unclasped his saber from his belt and tossed it onto its usual place before taking a few steps towards her, a disapproving frown etched onto his features, "Then why do it?"

"I don't know," Ros replied, combing a hand through her hair as she slumped against the doors Kylo had ensured stayed shut with the Force, "Because I'm an idiot, I guess. Prideful, competitive, selfish…"

"That sounds a lot like me," He gave a soft chuckle, reaching his hand up to tilt her face so he could see her eyes but furrowing his eyebrows when he saw the tears threatening to spill, "Self-deprecation doesn't suit you."

"I would say being sweet doesn't suit you, but it does, and it's actually kind of nice," She laughed, wiping a tear from the edge of her eye, "It's too bad you're not like this more often instead of so angry all the time. Maybe then Rey wouldn't be so afraid of you." At this Kylo grimaced, turning around sharply as his gloved hands curled into fists, causing Ros to reach out gently to touch his shoulder as if he was a wounded animal, "Hey, I—" Her breath caught in her throat when he spun around and snarled, punching a heavy dent into the door she was pressed against before placing his hands on each side of her head.

"I don't understand why she rejected me!" He yelled, unsure as to why he was telling her of all people but simultaneously knowing he couldn't tell anyone else, his rage threatening to boil over until a soft hand on his cheek made him calm and blink.

"Kylo," She began quietly, hoping her touch would keep his rage from escalating but freezing when he began to lean down to kiss her, pressing a finger to his lips. "Wait," She whispered, sweeping her eyelashes over her cheeks briefly before meeting his dark eyes with her blue ones, "You don't want me, you want Rey." His silence was all the confirmation she needed, and she placed her hands on his chest as she continued to look up at him, "I don't know her, so I can't tell you what you should or shouldn't do, I can only suggest that next time you see her you show her this side of you. Show her that you're not all extremes, that your rage and loneliness don't consume you even if you think they do. I will never be her replacement, even if I'm the closest thing you've got," She paused, watching as he looked away from her to consider this information and giving him some time to process it before she spoke again, "Can I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"Was I your first?" She asked quietly, watching as his face turned back to look at her sharply and the rage began to bubble underneath his gaze again, "No, listen. I just need to know."

"Why?!" He asked accusingly, his eyelids narrowing as he glared at her, "How could you even tell?!" He watched her look away sheepishly, a gentle blush on her cheeks as she struggled to figure out how to explain the answer to his question, his next words blurted out before he could stop himself, "Teach me."

"What?!" She exclaimed, meeting his gaze once more and noticing the look of determination on his face.

"Teach me," He repeated, pausing a beat before continuing, "Teach me how to…please a woman."

Ros swallowed slowly, noticing he was deadly serious and demanding in his tone, "I…I don't think I can do that."

He stared at her for a brief moment before holding his hand out, lightsaber flying back into it and igniting it without missing a beat, "Then I suppose I should finish what your brother started." He stepped away from her and waved his hand towards the control panel, hearing the soft hiss as the doors began to open.

" _Fuck, how does this keep happening?"_ Ros thought exasperatedly, shoving herself between the now-open doors and himself, grabbing his wrist to keep him from going anywhere as he unlit his sword, "I…I mean I guess I could, but we couldn't have…sex, or anything…"

"Fine," He retorted harshly, stepping back and crossing his arms, "You teach me and I won't hurt you or the people you care about. We have a deal."

"Wait a minute," She called out, her usual countenance returning as she placed her hands on her hips, "How do I know you'll really keep up your end of the deal, instead of _altering_ it like last time?"

Kylo frowned, glancing up at the ceiling as he thought of an answer before speaking, "How about…for every time I try having sex with you, i.e. alter the contract, I give you a month's paid shore leave for you to go wherever you want."

Ros let out a soft laugh, the incredulity of the entire situation suddenly dawning on her, "O…kay, that works I guess. But what if you try to do that fuck-with-your-head thing again to change my mind?"

"Then…" He paused, looking back down at her and waving his hand, "You can hold on to my lightsaber while you're here, and whatever other weapons you choose. How's that?"

Ros pursed her lips to the side before giving a small shrug, trying to deal with this as calmly as possible, "I guess that'll work. When, uh…when were you wanting to start?"

"Right now."

"Of course you do," She mumbled, rubbing the back of her neck before glancing at the exit, "But…I have to take care of something first. Don't worry, I'm not running although I'm sure you could find me if I did," She added when she noticed his skeptical look, turning before glancing over her shoulder at him, "You know, threatening people like this isn't the way to get what you want." She walked out and into the corridor, noticing the three people she'd left there earlier huddled around and hurrying over to them, "Uh, hey guys. I need to borrow _you_ ," She didn't wait for any of them to answer before she grabbed Hux's sleeve and pulled him into the nearby elevator, closing the doors behind them and touching the function to stall the lift before looking back at him, "Hux, I need to ask you something."

"Ros, I didn't think he'd let you out of there in one piece," Hux began, circling around her slowly as if to make sure she was real, "That _is_ you, isn't it? Not some sort of Force ghost, or whatever those heretics call them?"

"What? No," She sighed, reaching a hand up to run it through her hair, "Hux, I need to know. Are we together? Like a couple?"

Hux furrowed his eyebrows, looking at her in confusion before stammering, "I-I hardly think this is the time or the place to be having—"

"Fuck that, I don't have the time or the place, so this is gonna have to do!" Ros urged exasperatedly, rubbing her temples, "Are we a couple, yes or no?"

"Er…yes? Well, no…technically…." He faltered, unsure what the right answer should be and if it should be the same as what he wanted it to be, "But officially there would be more courtship—"

"Kriff, Hux!" She groaned, placing her hands on his arms and forcing him to look at her, "So no? No, correct?"

"Correct…?" He replied uneasily, half expecting a slap in his direction but blinking when none came, "Why do you ask?"

Ros walked back to the control board and pressed a few buttons, hearing the doors open with slight issue from being literally hacked into before walking towards them and exiting, "So I know how guilty to feel about the new pile of shit I just got myself into."


	16. The Mistake of Playing Nice

Chapter 16

"Alright, before we start this, I need you to tell me about Rey. Everything you know or think you know about her, okay? Go."

"Why do you need to know?"

Ros let out a sigh, gently leading him over to a pair of lounge chairs and sitting down in one, before motioning for him to sit in the other. Surprisingly, he complied, and she turned to face him before giving him the best reassuring smile she could muster considering the situation, "Go on, tell me. If you don't know where to begin, start with the first time you saw her, what you noticed about her. Tell me about her personality, her background, anything and everything regardless of how small or foolish you may think it sounds. It'll be easier once you start, I promise."

Kylo Ren gave her an uneasy look before leaning forward, tenting his hands as he thought and began to tell her what he knew, surprising himself when he realized that she was right and it was easier once he'd begun to talk about Rey.

It had been a few weeks since she'd struck that _other_ deal with Kylo Ren, much to the chagrin of Leillea who was the only one Ros had told about what had gone down when she'd been in his room. She'd had to listen to Lei's ramblings about 'caring too much for others and not enough for herself' and 'having no sense of self-preservation,' among other colorful idioms that she preferred not to think about. Lei was right, of course, but she couldn't back out now, not when she'd already racked up two months of shore leave from Kylo Ren trying to stick his hand (and almost losing it to his own sword) up her shirt and down her pants, respectively – that time spent away from the First Order might be her only chance at seeing her family again, and she needed as much time as possible if she would have to end up tracking them down if they'd moved. So she endured the awkward (for her) kisses, the longing touch on her arms or waist, and even the occasional (but more often than not) shoulder she offered Kylo to talk about his feelings, even if he acted like he didn't want to – she'd learned how to get him to open up, and had coincidentally noticed fewer clusters of damaged equipment through her endeavor.

She'd been trying to avoid Hux as much as possible, knowing that he was probably more than pissed that she was doing so but really not wanting to risk the chance that she might actually answer his question about what had happened in Kylo Ren's room. Besides, they weren't together, he'd said it himself – so she didn't owe him anything, least of all an explanation, regardless of how handsome he was or sexy he looked when he was all authoritative. She'd purposefully changed her routine and arrival times at the hangar bay so he couldn't know when she'd be there or leave her room, hating that she felt so shady but knowing it was necessary to keep him safe – at least, that's what she told herself.

She'd used her connections in the R&D labs on the _Finalizer_ to get a prototype made – something to hopefully aid in her current quest of helping Kylo Ren, all the while knowing he'd never know how to truly act in front of Rey unless he was standing in front of her, which meant he'd either scare her half to death or freeze and not know what to do, all their lessons be damned. So she asked for a device to be made – something to alter her appearance via a type of hologram or holomatter into anyone she chose (after promising and pinky-swearing she wouldn't impersonate the Supreme Leader), which of course would be Rey. As she'd gotten to know him she'd almost felt sorry for him; he reminded her of a lost puppy that she couldn't _not_ help, and through this the idea had stemmed and she finally had the device in her hand that she was curious to try out – although she'd probably have to reiterate that the same rules still applied, regardless of who she looked like.

She let out a soft sigh and placed the tiny device behind her left ear, feeling the soft rubber as it stayed put by what she could only guess was some type of R&D magic, and exited her room. She walked down the hallway, passing the various doors on either side before she finally stopped in front of the Supreme Leader's quarters, reaching up and gently tracing a digit over the device and feeling a gentle tingle behind her ear as it changed her appearance. When she didn't feel any different, she stepped to the side to attempt to look at her reflection in the steel walls and let out an incredulous laugh at the result – she looked just like the girl she'd had Leillea download the holos of off the security feed, three buns and all. When she was done, she gave a strong knock on the metal doors and waited only a few beats before the scowling face of Kylo Ren appeared before her, whose expression went from angry, to shocked, to confused, to horrified (or appalled?) within nanoseconds. He reached forward and grabbed her arm, yanking her into his room and Force-closing the door behind him, causing her to let out a soft yelp of alarm before she was shoved against the wall nearby and an unlit lightsaber pressed to her throat.

"Rey, what the hell are you doing here? How did you get past security? When I find out who was slacking off…" Kylo began, his tone low and menacing yet his eyes betraying the whirlwind of emotions he was feeling upon seeing her.

Ros managed to glare at him for a moment before smirking, the look of confusion on his face upon doing so revealing to her that Rey had probably either never displayed these expresions, or not done them very often. "Now Kylo, is this any way to treat the girl you have a crush on?" She teased, her voice matching Rey's that she'd also had somehow managed to pick up from the security feed.

"What?! Who told you that?!" Kylo snarled, his eyes narrowing in comprehension, "You're not Rey…she'd never act like this. Whoever you are, you just made the mistake that cost you your life." With that he pulled back the hilt of his saber and ignited it, reaching up to strike her down in one fell swoop with both hands.

"SHIT!" Ros yelled, managing to duck and roll out to one side and catching herself in a crouching position, "Kylo, stop!" she added, reaching up behind her left ear and pressing her finger against the device to deactivate it – just in time before Kylo Ren's quick reflexes caught up to her. "It's me, holy fuck! I didn't think you'd try to kill me…I mean, I should've considered it, but Kriff…"

Kylo stared slack-jawed at the woman in front of him, dropping his switched-off lightsaber on the ground with a loud clunk, "What the actual fuck? Wait – how do I know you're the _real_ Captain Guerran?" he began suspiciously, quickly calling his sword back to him with the Force and holding it tightly.

Ros stood, letting out a nervous laugh before reaching up to her ear and gently pulling the device off, holding it out to him in her hand. She was about to say something when she felt a sharp pain in her head, causing her to let out a string of curses until the throbbing subsided and she glared up at Kylo Ren, who was now trying to unclench her fist from around her device. "That was a dick move. I would've let you if you'd asked."

"Couldn't take the risk," He muttered in reply, picking up the tiny object and holding it up to his eye level, "What the hell is this? How did you do that?"

"I don't know what it's called, but it's a prototype of something I thought of to help you," She paused, noticing the small glimpse he gave her before she continued, "You're… _comfortable_ with me, for lack of better terms. If you want to know how to act around Rey, I figured this would be your best bet at doing that. Even if you know it's really me, seeing and hearing her might help."

"Why are you doing this?" He asked quietly, reluctantly handing the tiny device back to her, "And why didn't I know about a project like this?"

"What, I can't do something nice?" Ros replied haughtily, giving him a side glare before looking down at her outstretched hand, "Like I said, it's a prototype, just something I thought of. Although it seemed like the scientists down in R&D already had some ideas of their own…"

"Research and Development? How did you manage that?" Kylo asked in alarm – nobody should be able to have projects like this authorized without approval from high command.

"It's amazing the kind of friends you make when you don't give a shit about the rules," She joked, placing the device back behind her ear so she wouldn't lose it, "But please don't get them in trouble. Or kill them. Especially that. They didn't know what I was going to use it for, they never would've given it to me if they'd known you'd find out about it," She urged, placing her hands on his arms and shaking him gently, "If I find out you did something to them, Kylo Ren, I swear…"

Kylo merely smirked at her, letting out a soft chuckle, "Look at you. You're threatening me even as I stand here with my lightsaber in my hand. One press of a button and flick of my wrist and you'd be sliced in two. Yet you wonder why I took such an interest in you…"

Ros released his arms and pushed his chest gently, walking towards the exit, "Ugh, douche. Now open this damn door so I can go and get some sleep," She grumbled, placing her hands on her hips before suddenly being spun around and pressed against said door, her breath catching in her throat when she felt Kylo's lips upon her own, ravaging them needily, hungrily. She parted her lips to speak but he took it as an invitation, exploring her mouth with a fervor that was only matched by the way his hands roamed over her pilot's jumpsuit, and she barely felt herself digging a hand into his hair and pulling him down to deepen the kiss, a quiet alarm going off in the back of her head as he pressed himself against her. It wasn't until she heard the soft sound of the zipper at her back that held her suit closed being pulled that she realized what was happening, and she opened her eyes quickly before using as much force as she could to shove Kylo Ren away from her, taking deep breaths to calm herself as she glared at him. "You said you wouldn't do that! That was part of the deal!"

Kylo caught himself after a couple of steps backward and managed to smirk, slowly licking his lips, "And it was going so well…I didn't even have to use as much _suggestion_ as last time," he teased, earning a deeper glare from the brunette, "But fine, you're right. That's another month of shore leave for you. Although the ends _definitely_ justify the means if I'm being honest."

"That was the last time. I'm serious, Kylo, one more and the deal is off," She growled, turning to face the exit and combing a hand through her hair, "Now open this fucking door and let me the hell out of here."

"I'd have thought by now you'd have gotten used to real-life simulations, new kid."

"With all due respect, Captain, this was my second one, it'll take getting some used to," Officer Kallos replied, trying to ignore the snickers around and behind him from the rest of the team.

"While I appreciate your excuses, Alpha Squadron is a difficult one to get into, with an even harder grind," She stopped and stood in front of him, the rest of the team falling into a line behind her, "With that said, I chose you for a reason. There were others with more experience and even higher grades from Skystrike, but that's not what I care about. We work as a cohesive unit here, which is why you only get one pass before you get kicked out off the team," She gave him a smirk at his terrified expression, "Now before you get all in your head about that, I think you should know that you're doing better so far than some others. For example, your LT here fucked up during his first SIM," She waved in the direction of Lieutenant Stevens, who gave a firm nod, "But he never did again after that, obviously, and he's the senior of all my guys. But I need you to remember that it's not just your life that's on the line out here, it's not all about you. Once you accept that and come to terms that it's the complete opposite of what you've been taught, you'll be fine." She squeezed his shoulder reassuringly before turning to the rest of the squad, "Still on for drinks tonight, boys? I know it's been a while." The entire squadron gave a chorus of affirmatives and _'Hell yeahs'_ in response, prompting her to grin before waving at them with her free hand, her helmet clasped firmly in the other, "See you then!"

Officer Kallos watched her leave with a befuddled look on his face, waiting until she left the hangar bay to turn back to the rest of the team, "Wait…our Captain _drinks_ with us?"

Sergeant Kyja let out a laugh, clapping him on the back before all of them began to walk in unison, "We're a family, Tay, remember?"

Ros had just made it off the elevator opposite the bridge when she felt another wave of nausea at the mere thought of being near an alcoholic drink, the first being when she'd talked to her team a few minutes earlier. She reached the back of her hand up to her forehead, wondering if she was getting a fever of some type as her thoughts ran in hundreds of different directions trying to figure out how she could've gotten sick while she stared at the floor, never stopping her casual pace. She took a deep breath and was about to mumble something under her breath when she skidded to a halt, the pair of uniform black boots being the cause of her sudden change in strides and she felt a tinge of nervousness prickle the back of her neck. Her eyes slowly ran up the person's uniform from bottom to top, keeping her face composed when her aquamarine eyes met Hux's cerulean ones.

 _Shit_.

"Captain Guerran, a word?" Hux spoke, waving a hand towards the door of the empty meeting room to his right and waiting for her to respond.

Ros gave a quick glance between him and the entrance, placing her hand on her hip and looking up at him stubbornly – she had to get out of this somehow, especially since she hadn't yet come up with a good explanation for her avoiding him. "I'm sure you can tell me whatever it is right here," She replied, quirking an eyebrow at the annoyed expression he now wore and wondering when he'd stopped being able to hide his emotions so effectively.

" _Now_ , Captain," Hux replied flustered, clenching his fists at the fact she was so insolent, even with him.

"Look, if you can't tell me here then it's obviously not that important. I don't really have time to—" She'd begun to walk off when she heard the soft beep of the control panel granting access, managing to make it almost past him when a firm hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside with him, causing her to let out a startled gasp not only at his actions but at the strength with which he'd performed them. In her surprise, she'd accidentally let her helmet go and barely heard it hit the ground before the doors shut and locked in front of her, causing her to look at her wrist which was now free. "What…? Hux, have you been working ou—" She didn't get to finish her question as she finished turning to face him, suddenly finding herself pinned between the nearby wall and his body. She met his eyes briefly with a questioning look and was about to speak when he kissed her, wrapping an arm firmly around her waist while his other was tangled in her hair behind her neck.

"Don't speak," He whispered unto her lips, feeling as she relaxed in his grasp and wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss and tracing his bottom lip with the tip of her tongue, causing a pleasured shiver to go down his spine and making him smirk. He reached for the clips of her armor and with a seemingly practiced ease, he unclasped them and tossed it aside, followed by her uniform belt. He didn't waste any time before reaching for the zipper of her jumpsuit, neither of them stopping their passionate kissing even as she removed his jacket and shirt, pulling at his belt but not before he'd begun to strip her of her pilot's uniform.

Ros vaguely recognized herself asking inwardly why he smelled different before she was distracted and he picked her up, placing her on the meeting room table nearby, barely noticing him removing the rest of her outfit along with her underwear. She felt him press her against his body as he ravaged her lips all over again, standing between her legs and using that to his advantage as he reached down and shoved a finger inside her, causing her to gasp.

He didn't waste any time before adding another, the wonderful moan she emitted into his mouth driving him wild as he pleasured her, but soon found himself wanting more and removed his fingers, kneeling in front of the table. He glanced up to see her flush-colored cheeks, the unbridled lust and passion in her eyes causing him to grin wickedly before slowly and teasingly licking his way inside her wet folds. At this he heard her curse, watching her closely as he continued to tantalize her while feeling his hardened length pressing painfully against his pants, begging to be set free; and it would be soon enough, and she'd be his again.

"Oh Hux, please…please don't stop," She begged, feeling her orgasm near it's peak as he let out a low moan, his pace and the vibrations finally sending her over the edge. She could only attempt to grip the table beneath her fingers as she did, her back arched and head tilted back as the waves of pleasure were more intense and longer lasting than any she'd had before, only briefly making her wonder how and why. She didn't waste much time on it before she was roughly pressed against his body again, looking up at his face as he removed his pants and underwear to reveal himself, and oh, he was ready.

He reached up and wrapped a hand behind her neck, pulling her face closer to his as he teased her folds with the tip of his member, "Tell me you need me."

" _This is new,"_ The thought briefly flickered in her mind before she was back to reality and she reached up with both hands to place them on either side of his face, pulling him down closer to her as she pressed her forehead against his. "I need you," She whispered, kissing him hungrily before pulling back just enough to whisper against his lips, "Kriff, I need you _now_."

At this he managed a low growl and entered her, watching as she closed her eyes in pure delight before letting out soft mewls of pleasure as he began to thrust in and out of her madly, as if she was the only thing keeping him alive. He heard himself moan at the feeling, burying himself deep within her each time and loving the way she dug her fingers into his back, just before she reached up and pulled him to her for a longing kiss. He felt himself getting close and with a few more thrusts he spilled himself inside her, suddenly noticing the soft crackles of static around them and simply pulling her close to deepen the kiss so she wouldn't notice. After a few more moments of this he pulled away, taking a couple of steps back and beginning to redress shortly before she began doing the same. When he finished with his jacket she'd just placed the last piece of her outfit, her belt, on her hips and looked up at him questioningly, obviously about to ask something – he _had_ to get out of there.

When he took a few strides towards the door and unlocked it, Ros hurried over to him and placed a hand on his arm, looking at him in confusion, "Wait, Hux, I thought you wanted to talk—"

"Nope," He replied over his shoulder, giving her a smug smirk before pressing the button for the doors to open.

" _Something is definitely off,"_ Ros thought, furrowing her eyebrows together as he began to exit the room and following him quickly, "Seriously? I thought you'd at least try to yell at—" She was interrupted again when he froze a few feet away from the exit, almost causing her to run into him before she managed to sidestep and turn to face his side, about to continue her protest when she spotted someone out of the corner of her eye, the same person that Hux was staring at. She glanced over at said person and felt an awful chill go down her spine when she saw them – there, holding her helmet in both hands and staring at them both with a mix of confusion and anger, was Hux himself.

"What…what the fuck?" Ros cried out, glancing between one Hux and the other until she made herself dizzy and brought her hands to her head, shutting her eyes briefly to calm herself. "Okay, what the hell is going on? There can't be two of you," She uttered, hearing a stern _'Obviously'_ from the Hux holding her helmet as she looked up at him before back at the one she'd just been in the room with, hoping he was the real one because if he wasn't, then who the hell was he?

"Please tell me you have a twin," She cried out desperately, with Helmet Hux replying that he didn't while Smug Hux replied that he did. She let out a low curse before getting an idea and realizing it was her best bet at figuring out who was who, so she turned to look at Smug Hux and glared up at him, "What's your first name?" When he didn't answer and merely gave her a stunned expression, she felt anger stir within her – either this person didn't have high enough clearance to gain access to those records, or they did and hadn't bothered to look, obviously never having expected to get caught, much less questioned. She turned to Helmet Hux and asked him the same, to which he gave her a stony expression before crossing his arms and replying, "You already know what it is."

She whirled around to face the impostor who no longer looked quite as smug, and she put all her energy behind the rough, painful slap she placed across one cheek that sent him stumbling a few steps and could possibly be heard down the hall. Simultaneously, she heard the soft clink of a device hitting the floor before the Hux she'd just slapped was revealed to be Kylo Ren, and in her rage she took his surprise to her advantage and reached forward to grab his lightsaber, igniting it with practiced ease as she slammed her foot down hard on the tiny device, shattering it into unrecognizable and unfixable pieces. She couldn't see Hux's look of astonishment and horror as she used her free hand to shove Kylo towards the nearest wall, holding up the lit lightsaber so close to his throat she was sure he could feel the heat and probably even a sting. "You son of a bitch," She began, feeling tears prickle her eyes as she spoke, unsure of why she was emotional, "This is what I get for trying to help you. All you do is use people, you piece of shit," She ignored the tears that spilled onto her hot cheeks and ignored the look of surprise and possibly even guilt that he suddenly displayed, "It's off. And I get two more months for your little stunt. If they're not there by tonight I'll give you a scar just like Rey except this one will be Right. Here." She could tell he knew what she meant when he glanced down at his own sword before looking back at her, all his guilt now replaced by anger at being threatened, which merely caused her to scoff and pull away, holding the saber tightly in her grasp. She turned and walked towards Hux, who was still very much confused about the whole situation, and grabbed her helmet from him, walking away as she held the still-lit sword up in the air, "I'm keeping this for leverage. Send one of your lackeys to come get it when it's done, you stay the fuck away from me."

After a few more strides she made it to her room and when the doors closed behind her, she threw the lightsaber as hard as she could towards the wall, hearing it make a resounding thud against the metal and leaving a dent. She let out a frustrated scream, angrily wiping away the tears on her cheeks before digging her hands into her hair, trying to keep herself from pulling it out. She paced back and forth in the ample space between the walls on either side of the leather couch, trying to calm herself and trying to think of what positives had come out of this situation.

One, she was free of the deal.

Two, she'd gotten more time away.

Three, that was two more months to find and/or spend with her family.

At the last thought she stopped pacing, slowly edging towards the sword on the ground before picking it up and slamming it on the caf table, taking a seat on the couch across. She took a few deep breaths to continue calming herself before thinking of her parents, the thought of possibly seeing them again and soon making a flutter of excitement rise in her chest. Her parents. Her brothers. She missed them all so much. How were they doing? What were they up to? Did her brothers have families of their own now? She'd been gone for ten years, would they even recognize her? Would they forgive her for the life-changing mistake she made so long ago? She could only hope that they would, and they were all alright…


	17. Tough Decisions

Chapter 17

 **A/N: I believe we're getting close to the end of this story, guys. I have at least two more chapters, possibly three, depending on the length of chapter 19 - I'd rather have one long chapter than two short ones, but I'll take opinions if you guys have 'em!**

 **DarkLordOfMemes: I know, right? She was just trying to help, and of course he goes and takes advantage of it. What a surprise, haha. Thanks for the review! :)**

* * *

 _R. Guerran: SOS_

 _L. Summers: Ros? What's the matter?  
R. Guerran: Just come see me ASAP. Please.  
L. Summers: You're worrying me, here…  
R. Guerran: It's not something I can or want to explain on here, Lei. But it's important.  
R. Guerran: P.S.: Apologies in advance if Hux comes back more pissy than usual. Hopefully he won't take it out on you just 'cause you're my friend.  
R. Guerran: P.P.S.: I'm SOOORRRRRYYYYYY_

Ros sat on the couch staring at Kylo's lightsaber resting atop her caf table. She had her elbows on her legs and her hands holding her mouth and chin while she glared at it, as if it was responsible for everything that had happened. When had her life gotten so messed up, so complicated? She'd managed almost ten years in the First Order without running into either Hux or Kylo Ren, and now here she sat, the past several months of her life peppered in appearances by either and/or both, all too often at the same time. She had to at least partly blame herself for this, if she was just another pilot who followed orders she'd have never been in this situation in the first place, but she couldn't change who she was – she hadn't done it all these years as a small act of rebellion, she sure wasn't about to start now. She should've known better than to get involved with anyone, much less the General of the First fucking Order of all people, which hadn't helped her situation any especially when she realized she had feelings for him. Her! Have feelings! Regardless of whether he reciprocated them or not (and he did, according to the man himself), she shouldn't have let herself do it. Regardless of whether she felt wonderful in his arms and safe in his embrace, she shouldn't have let herself do it.

Fuck.

She was brought out of her thoughts by a stern knocking on the door, and she glanced up briefly before reaching forward to grab the lightsaber, holding it tightly as she answered to see a taller man in black who had his own saber stripped to his belt and what appeared to be a sniper rifle attached to his back – or, at least, what she guessed was a sniper rifle, since she could really only see the butt end of it sticking up behind his shoulder. She glared into the eye slits of his mask before speaking one sentence succinctly, "Take it off."

"What?!"

"Take the mask _off._ I need to see it's not that _asshole_ Kylo Ren under there," She retorted impatiently, watching as he glanced around them before looking back at her.

"Can I come inside? I'd rather not let anyone see my face…we're supposed to be mysterious, you see."

She rolled her eyes at his half-joke before pressing the button to ignite the sword in her hand, knowing he was probably glancing between it and her face before she stepped aside, gesturing for him to enter. She watched as he did so and the doors shut behind him, eyeing him closely as he reached up to unclasp his mask before removing it completely and holding it beneath one arm, using the other to smooth a few strands of blonde hair away from his face, the rest of it being pulled back into a low ponytail. From here she could see the top of a tattoo at the base of the left side of his neck, along with a few piercings on his ears which suddenly reminded her of something she had to check. She switched off the lightsaber and switched her grip so it was upside down in her hand like a dagger, managing to keep a finger on the on button before walking up to the Knight and glancing past him to his ear, ignoring how uncomfortably close she was to him before reaching up and touching the spot behind his ear where the device would be. When she didn't feel one, she switched the saber to her other hand and used her now-free hand to do the same to his other ear, feeling the Knight's piercing green gaze watching her in both wonder and confusion. When she was done and satisfied that he wasn't pretending to be anyone else, she stepped back and interrupted the question she saw coming from him with one of her own, "Is it done?"

"Er…yes. Supreme Leader Ren sent me to tell you that it's been updated and you can check your com to verify. Whatever that means," He mumbled the last part, eyeing her curiously as she reached into her belt and pulled out the handheld com, pressing her thumb against the screen followed by a few taps.

Ros managed a surprised scoff before uttering, "Son of a bitch wasn't lying for once," and putting her com away. She walked past the blonde Knight and switched the lightsaber on once again, shortly before pulling it up above her head and jamming it into the nearby wall as hard as she could, the smell of burnt metal overwhelming her nostrils while the sparks it gave off briefly shone in her eyes. She turned and walked over to one of the black chairs, sitting down in it before waving towards the wall that now had a large gash in it, "Take it. Tell your boss that I actually keep my word."

The Knight stared at her incredulously as he walked to unwedge the sword from the wall before turning it off, "You do realize that he could kill you for what you've done and said to him," He murmured almost sadly, turning to face her as he clipped the saber to his belt.

Ros merely let out an unladylike snort, crossing her feet at the ankle on top of the caf table, "He's already tried," She retorted, amused at the slack-jawed expression on his face, "Why do you think I punched him that day?"

"Shit," he merely replied, managing a lopsided smile as he adjusted his helmet in his hands to put it on, "You're still as feisty as the first day we saw you." With that, he turned and left, mask back on and cloaking his chiseled features beneath it.

* * *

"I'm here. What happened?"

"I think there's something wrong with me."

"You don't say?"

Ros gave her friend a playful glare before sighing, running a hand through her hair absently before continuing, "I dunno, I think I'm getting sick or something. But it's not like a regular sick, I can't explain it. It's weird. Also, fuck Kylo Ren. _Again_."

Leillea sat down on the chair next to her, looking at her in concern before speaking, "Okay. Tell me everything."

So she did. Top to bottom, left to right, Ros told her everything except the nitty gritty details about what had transpired between her and Hux, or, rather, who she thought had been Hux. She told her the overall picture, and thankfully Leillea put two and two together without her needing to go deep into the particulars of the situation. They'd just started talking about how she'd been feeling physically when there was a timid knock at the door, both of the women looking up from their in-depth discussion to stare towards the exit.

"Maybe it's Tanner? He commed me a little while ago to make sure we were still coming tonight."

"Kriff, I forgot about that," Ros exhaled, slowly standing and walking towards the doors, "But no, I don't think Stevens would knock like a little bitch." She threw her friend a sassy smile before they opened to reveal who she recognized as Lieutenant Mitaka standing before her, causing her to quirk an eyebrow, "Uh…hi? Can I help you?"

"Y-yes, Captain Guerran. General Hux wishes to speak with you in his office."

Ros let out a quiet groan, placing a hand over her eyes and pressing on them, "Shit. Can this wait?"

"No, it can't."

Ros glanced up and over in the direction of the voice, feeling her face pale as she stared at the looming figure of Hux, hands clasped behind him as he glared at her. Mitaka obviously hadn't expected him to be there, either, the look of surprise evident in his face before he stammered something and scurried away. She sighed softly before looking over her shoulder at Leillea, pointing a thumb in the direction of her bedroom, "Pick out something for me, will you?" She didn't wait for her to respond before stepping out, walking after him to his office and trying not to flinch when the doors closed tightly shut behind her. She watched him closely as he took a few steps before turning to face her, crossing his arms and staring at her as if waiting for an explanation she wasn't ready or willing to give.

"What happened?" He asked authoritatively, "Why have you been avoiding me?"

Ros shifted her weight uncomfortably, reaching a hand up to rub the back of her neck as she avoided his gaze. She parted her lips to speak a few times but couldn't seem to find the right words, or any words, to explain not only herself but the situation she'd been in. She wasn't used to being the one having to justify her actions, and she'd never been good at it, not even when she was a child having to fess up to her parents.

Hux watched the distraught look on her face, something pulling at him inside that caused him to shift his approach. He walked up to her and placed his hands on her arms, waiting for her to look at him before speaking in the gentlest tone he could muster. "If this is about what I said about us not being together, that can change. I was wrong, I've been trying to catch you and tell you. I'll gladly throw all the courtship aside if you'll just let me be with—"

"Don't," Ros interrupted, catching him off guard and shutting her eyes tight for a moment in a futile attempt to get rid of the tears that threatened to spill, "Please don't be nice to me, I don't deserve it," She uttered, finally glancing back up at him with tears brimming her eyes, "I thought he was you, Hux. I thought he was _you_ ," she whispered, bringing her hands to her face and stepping out of his hold, her back facing him, "I knew something was off but I didn't question it because I missed you. I cared so much about being back in your arms that I didn't think twice about it when I should have." She took in a deep breath, raking a hand through her hair and knowing she'd probably just given him more questions than answers, "Everything was so much simpler when I wasn't involved with anyone."

Hux didn't know whether to be angry, or upset, or both. He wasn't the type to be nice, _ever_ , so having her reject him when he was opening himself up to her stung deeper than he should've allowed it, yet he still felt compelled to try again. He walked back over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, feeling her muscles relax slightly under his touch, "Ros, if you'll just trust me to help you—"

At this she spun around, warm drops on her cheeks even as she glared up at him, noticing him flinch slightly at her sudden change of demeanor. "Did you trust _me_ to help _you_?" She yelled, obviously referring to the time Kylo Ren had thrown him around like a rag doll, "No, right? So we're _even_!" She didn't wait for the shock to leave his face before she walked over to the door, smacking her palm on the control panel before leaving him with one last, albeit gentle, pair of sentences, "Just stay away from me, Hux. It's what's best for you."

* * *

She hadn't lasted long at the Cantina. She'd asked her usual bartender to give her some soda water instead of her regular drink to help the nausea of smelling all the booze so strongly, and it had helped at first – but after her fourth visit to the bathroom to throw up and three glasses of water later, Leillea had dragged her back to her rooms full of concern, excusing them both and telling the rest of the squadron that her friend was coming down with something and she probably needed some rest. Although the team took it at face value, they knew something was wrong – especially since their Captain hadn't had a single drop of alcohol all night.

"There. Better?" Lei asked as Ros drank the latest glass of cold water she handed to her, promptly after brushing her teeth to get the foul taste of vomit out that wasn't helping with her nausea any.

"Yes, mother," Ros replied with a tired smile, setting the glass down on the caf table before stripping off her heels and simply tossing them to the side, "I told you there was something wrong with me. Although I can't figure out where I could've gotten sick from…"

"Ros…" Leillea began, taking a seat next to her on the couch and trying to pick her words carefully, "When was the last time you had your…visit from Aunt Flo?"

Ros gave her a confused look before letting out a soft laugh, "Oh, you mean my period? Uhm…" She paused, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "Good question. My entire system got messed up after I _almost died_ ," She mumbled, "I don't think I've had one since. I just figured my body would regulate itself and it'd come back eventually."

"Are you…" Lei paused, biting her bottom lip uneasily, "Are you sure you aren't pregnant?"

" _What?!_ " Ros replied astonishedly, letting out a loud, nervous laugh, "No. NO. Me? _NO,_ " She gulped, beginning to hyperventilate and gripping the edges of the sofa, "That can't—I don't—I _can't_ ," She continued incoherently, finally calming down a bit once she felt Leillea squeeze her arm gently.

"Well, there's only one way to find out for sure."

* * *

"I need you to pee in this cup."

Ros stared at the nurse blankly before taking it, not uttering a word before she went into the bathroom and did as told. When she was done, she followed the instructions given to her about where to place it, washed her hands, and left, meeting up with Lei in the waiting room who placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She didn't speak a word even as her name was called and they were ushered into a consulting room, Ros sitting on the large patient chair in the middle and tapping her foot impatiently against the floor, both of them having long changed out of their going-out clothes and into fitted sweatpants, oddly enough First Order issue. She froze when the doctor came into the room with the nurse Ros had seen various times before, said doctor flipping through what seemed to be her chart and not looking up when she spoke.

"Congratulations, you're pregnant!"

Ros felt the color leave her face and her breath catch in her throat, her hands beginning to tremble as she stared at her. When she didn't respond, the doctor continued.

"After all you've been through, it's truly somewhat of a miracle that—" The doctor finally looked up and saw Ros' face, freezing momentarily before slowly setting the datapad down on a table nearby, "B-But of course, if you weren't planning on keeping the baby, there's always alternatives—"

"Schedule it," Ros replied abruptly, gripping the chair with her hands so tightly she was sure she was going to rip holes in it.

"Are you sure you don't want to think about this? You can always call—"

" _Schedule. It._ " She managed through gritted teeth, her patience obviously thin as she stood to leave.

"Do you at least want to know how far along you are?"

" _NO._ "

"With all due respect, Captain Guerran, you haven't had enough time to process—"

"What the FUCK part of schedule it don't you understand?" She finally screamed, causing the doctor to jump back in surprise and drop the datapad she'd just picked up onto the floor, the nurse simply standing to the side knowingly, "Send the appointment details to my com. And don't put _any_ of this in my chart, or I _will_ kill you." With that, she pulled the door open so hard it slammed against the metal wall, exiting the room in a blaze of fury and barely hearing the nurse uttering _"It's true, she will"_ as she left.

Leillea caught up to her with ease, ignoring the surprised looks of the few people in the waiting area as they walked by. When they made it to the elevator, she reached over and placed a reassuring hand over her friend's and squeezed it, "Ros, she was right about one thing. You have to give yourself enough time to process this." She spoke quietly, the two of them making their way back to Ros' quarters before said Captain sank herself onto the couch, knees curled up to her chest.

"I know. I will. I just wanted to get it scheduled incase I decide to go through with it," She whispered, shutting her eyes, "This is so fucked up. I can't believe I was so careless. I don't even…I don't even know who the father really is," She wailed, reaching her hands up and balling them into fists in her hair.

"But didn't that nurse say that medicine would work?" Leillea hoped, rubbing Ros' back comfortingly.

"She said it should. She said it _should_ work," She sighed, "What if it didn't? What if I'm carrying another Kylo Ren inside of me right now? _Fuck!_ " She sobbed, shaking her head miserably, "I can't…I don't know if I could live with myself. Both options are bad, and if either of them found out, ten times as bad. I'm pretty sure Hux would strangle me and probably toss me out an airlock. And Ren…Kriff, I don't even want to know what he'd do."

"Don't worry about them right now," Lei soothed, pausing a moment when she got an idea, "Wait. Ros. Don't you have all those months of shore leave from Kylo Ren? They've already been approved for whenever you want to take them, right?" She watched Ros look up and nod while looking at her, "You could use them now, and take that time to decide what you want to do without having to worry about seeing either of them. Don't tell anyone, not me or your brother or your team, where you're going in case someone asks or tries to get it out of us. Just _go_."

Ros let out a soft laugh, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand before throwing her arms around her best friend, hugging her tightly, "This is why I love you. You have the best ideas."

Lei laughed as well, knowing she was going to miss her but feeling better at the fact that she'd probably be safer anywhere than on this ship, "I have my moments."

* * *

Ros took the next few days to pack and get everything settled, even convincing Colonel Kahn to get her old ship out of storage on the day she planned to leave. She'd told her brother she was going to be gone for a while, and even though he wanted to ask her where she was going, he seemed to already know the answer without having to pose the question. He didn't know her deep down reason for leaving, of course, but simply hugged her tightly and told her to be safe, kissing her forehead and telling her not to do anything stupid – the exact same thing he'd said the last time he'd seen her all those years ago.

Her team was harder to break the news to – especially when she revealed that she'd be gone for _months_ , not days or weeks. She placed Lieutenant Stevens in charge, and told him to run everything as she would, and when they asked where she was going, she simply replied with "If I told you, it wouldn't be much of a vacation, now would it?", especially since they all knew that they'd try and track her down anytime they had questions or issues. She gave each of them a hug, and when she got everything settled with them as well as her brother, she left without warning under cover of night, waiting for the moment when almost everyone would be asleep or out of the hangar bay except the usual skeleton crew that didn't give her a second glance. She boarded herself and her things into her ship, and although it wasn't as fast as her Silencer, she knew she'd be lying if she said she hadn't missed it – she had, and terribly, most of all the fact that it couldn't be easily tracked due to her modifications.

Without spending too much time dwelling on nostalgia, she punched in a set of coordinates on the opposite side of the galaxy and set her course, shortly after jumping into lightspeed. She couldn't go straight to see her family – if anyone had seen her, that'd be the first place they'd try to track her down at, but even so, she needed some time to think. A _lot_ of time to think.

* * *

Barely a month went by when Hux began to really get suspicious. He hadn't seen the Captain even in passing, and her quarters had been unusually quiet every time he'd passed by – he hadn't even heard her muffled singing through the steel doors, which he managed to catch at least two or three times a week on the way to his rooms. After another few days of this, his curiosity finally got the better of him and he pulled up her records, wondering if there was any information that would explain her absence – was she on a separate mission from her team, perhaps?

He got his answer when he scrolled a little ways down her file and SHORE LEAVE showed up under her picture in large, red letters. He furrowed his eyebrows and touched the words to get more details, noticing that the vague description merely stated, 'Five Months.' Five months? Five _months_?! Even he himself didn't get more than a week or two at a time, yet she had _months_ that had been approved for her to be away from the First Order and her duties. How was this possible?

Then, he remembered: _"It's off. And I get two more months for your little stunt."_

So, Kylo Ren was behind this – it made sense, only he could approve something like that now that he was Supreme Leader. Which made him wonder what she'd been doing or saying to get all that time…and even though he wanted to think the worst, his gut told him that wasn't it, especially with the way she'd been so distraught the last time he'd seen her. So where, and why had she gone? If there was one person that would know, it'd be the Sergeant, and he didn't care whether Summers was half asleep by now or not.

Leillea woke up to the sound of harsh knocks on the door, stirring her from her slumber and making her groan in annoyance. She sat up and slid off the bed, rubbing her eyes as she walked to and answered the door, an irritated look on her face as she did so.

Hux didn't wait for her to invite him in, he simply walked past her and looked around, almost as if hoping he'd find Ros there. When he didn't, he turned and faced his security tech, giving her a stern glare. "Where is she?"

"Where is who?" Lei asked innocently, placing her hands on her arms as she tried to keep her courage as the General stared down at her.

"You know who, Sergeant. Where is Captain Guerran? I know she's on shore leave, where did she go?"

Lei let out a slow exhale, closing her eyes, "She's on vacation. I don't know where, I didn't ask, and she didn't tell me. She didn't tell anyone," She replied, looking back up at him and eating the nerves that were fraying under his commandeering gaze, "With all due respect, General? I don't think it's any of your business where she went."

Hux flared his nostrils indignantly, anger coursing through his veins at her gall, "Sergeant, you'd be wise to remember who you're speaking to. You work for _me_ , not her," He hissed, clenching his fists, "Although I could have you thrown in a cell for this, I won't. You're still useful, most lucky for you. As for your _friend,_ I can easily just have her tracked." With that he spun on his heel and headed towards the door.

"Good luck with that," Leillea mumbled, trying not to show fear when Hux halted his footsteps and tilted his head slightly to glare at her out of the corner of his eye, obviously taking this as a challenge. When he finally left, she let out the breath she'd been holding and collapsed onto the nearest chair, placing a hand on her face, "Ros, you so owe me for this."

* * *

"General, there's a few images being transmitted to us."

"Send them through," Hux replied, picking up a datapad and pulling up the images that had just arrived. It'd been two weeks, but they'd managed to find her – or, at least, that's what he hoped.

"Someone with her likeness was spotted at a market, which was where two of these pictures were taken. She was also spotted at one of the more secluded tourist destinations."

"Where?" Hux replied, noticing that the pictures seemed to be of her but were too far away to be for certain.

"Naboo."

" _Naboo? What the hell was she doing there?"_ Hux thought, looking back over his shoulder at Mitaka, who had been the one relaying the news, "How long ago were these taken?"

"Approximately three weeks ago, sir."

 _Damn._ They were still three weeks behind her, she could be anywhere by now. "How are we doing on locating her family's address?"

"We believe we've almost got it, sir. As it was explained to me, the records were removed from her original file years ago by what appears to be some sort of virus, and through the years, the system updated and became more secure. Her file was never updated with that information as it appeared to have never existed in the first place, most likely the virus' doing. If it had been caught when it happened there might've been data to recover, but now, I was told it is too late and there's nothing there."

Hux glanced from Mitaka to the clear window of space before him, keeping his composure despite the fact he was thoroughly annoyed, "And how is it coming now?"

"They've narrowed down her home planet, and are working on locating her family now. As long as they haven't changed their name or location, it should hopefully not be much longer than a few days."

"Make it faster. Dismissed," Hux spoke curtly, looking down again at the pictures on his datapad. The ones of her at the market were simple enough – she appeared to be buying some assortment of fruits from a local, but the ones of her at a waterfall…the pictures managed to catch her hair fluttering in the breeze, the one in which she stood wearing a white sundress made her look stunning, even as she had a hand on the opposite arm and simply stared off into the distance. The one taken from the side where she was sitting, however, made him wonder – she was looking down at her lap, holding an apple in one hand and seemingly lost in thought, but he couldn't tell what she was looking at since the basket of fruit was in the way, placed on the ground next to her. He wondered how she was doing, if she was okay, and why she'd felt the need to be so secretive about where she was going – was she planning on leaving the First Order for good? Going rogue, like that traitor FN-2187? He couldn't risk that, not if it meant she'd be in the First Order's crosshairs for the rest of her life, always on the run, never to be safe again. If that was her plan, he'd convince her to come back somehow, even if he had to use her family and loved ones as leverage; he'd much rather she hate him and be near, then be gone and not know whether she was dead or alive.

On that thought, he knew his plan was settled. He'd find her, figure out her intentions, and either bring her back kicking and screaming, or leave her to the rest of her shore leave in peace…with a tracking device, of course.


End file.
